Seeing Life in a Different Perspective
by dragonsroar
Summary: Old and new foes attack the Titans and two old loves return to haunt the hearts of two who are beginning to see each other in a different light. Final Chapter.
1. Coming to Terms With Feeling

First true Teen Titans story. Will involve romance, action/adventure, comedy, and return visits from past characters. Hope you enjoy.

I don't own the Teen Titans. Wish I did, but I don't. I do own the rights to this story though.

* * *

You would think being trapped for all time would drive a person insane. Well you're right...well for some anyway. One particular person was actually content at being trapped for the rest of time. It gave her time to think. She thought about her past, remembering the fear that she had because she couldn't control the devastating power that she had been granted. It was her blessing and her curse. However she let it grow out of control. She didn't accept the right help when it was smack dead in her face. And to her, this was the biggest mistake of her life. She had friends (or she hoped they were still her friends) that wanted to help her, but her fear lead her astray. It nearly caused her the life of her friends and had cost her, her freedom. At first, being trapped caused her an immeasurable amount of emotional pain. But over the years she had gained peace. She knew of her faults and weighed them with her goods and saw that she did not sacrifice herself for nothing. Though much of it was of her own doing, she was glad she was able to help in anyway possible. It was because of one saying that helped her understand this. 

"It's never too late."

She remembered who spoke that; the one that understood her. He saw her fear and anguish and did his best to help. And it would have probably worked if she hadn't been so misguided in her quest to control her powers. She thought he had broken her heart when he revealed her secret (or so she thought. She was later told that, that piece of information was cleverly deduced.). She believed her heart was shattered even more when he told her she had no friends even after she asked him to promise to never hate her no matter what. She tried to cover all the pain up with vengeance and carried that vengeance out. But they prevailed and took her down. She remembers fighting the boy and him telling her that her powers were her own. She finally broke free of the grip on her powers and when the volcano that she created erupted she unleashed them with such force and so rapidly that the cells in her body ceased moving and she froze in stone. Now her body may be frozen, but her mind was still active. This backing up the fact that she spent her time thinking. And because her five other senses were frozen along with her body, her sixth sense evolved into a type of empathy. A power that one particular person she knew possessed. She could always feel the emotions radiating off his body when the boy she loved came to visit her 'grave'. Such guilty, sorrow, longing, and hope. Hope that he and his friends would one day find the cure. But the passage of time has a knack for eating away at that hope. Oh...he still hoped; it just wasn't as strong as it once was. She thought; this was understandable. Why wait forever for something you could never have? She was glad that he was starting to forget her, though deep down she wished to hold him again. To listen to one of his corny jokes. To see that smile that could melt the heart of anyone. She also sensed that, that smile was now being directed toward another. It took her as a surprise when she first noticed it. But like she thought. He was beginning to fall for another, and that was understandable. He should be happy. And if he was to be happy with another, then so be it. Like stated above, she was content with her current situation. Now happy, content. She had truly become one with the earth around her. And though she couldn't use them, her powers were very much active. But it wasn't until one day that the tranquility of her prison, no, her solitude was broken. Like always she thought, she extended her mind, manipulating her powers from within her self and trying to manipulate them on the outside. It never worked, but it never hurt to try. Guess that way of thinking has its ups. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice a tingling feeling in her hand. It started at the tip of her finger. A strange tingly feeling, as if the constant temperature of her stone casing changed. Now not being able to feel for so long can cause a person to flip when they finally do. And boy did she _flip_. Her mind raced. She didn't know what was going on. Simply that her unfeeling nature had been disturbed. For a moment she almost thought that she was going to die; her soul finally leaving its rocky tomb. But then, nothing. That was until a crack formed on her stony finger. That crack soon traveled up her hand and began to branch out in multiple directions. The cracks traveled up her left arm and soon on her shoulder where they divided to access her other arm and lower body. The cracks traveled down her back, continuing to cross over them selves around her spine. They traveled down her belly, naval, crotch, legs, feet, and even her toes. Her long hair soon came victim to the same treatment, leaving only her face untouched by the addictive crack forming. Then as quickly as the cracks ran up her body, they stopped, leaving her looking like a jigsaw puzzle. Now you may think that her stone body had finally eroded and was about to join the earth around her, but you would be mistaken. In one swift movement the stone around her body chipped away, falling to the ground and turning to dust as it made contact with the stone floor. So many different feelings rushed into her body at once. The cool dampness of the cave, the cold ground, the small unimaginable silence of the cavern. She was so overwhelmed by such feeling that she dropped to the ground and tried to right herself. Her long hair, which now was longer than ever before fell over her body and covered her indecency. Her whole body shivered as she just realized that she was completely in the nude. And for some reason she felt _heavier _than before she was imprisoned. She began to touch herself (and no, not to pleasure herself) and soon discovered that she was not the girl she once was. She couldn't explain it, but she was now a woman. Had the passage of time really affect her or was she more in-tune with the earth than she realized and it somehow aged her? She shrugged; a comfortable feeling. She didn't know why or how she freed herself, but that didn't matter. The point was that she was now free. She was freezing her butt off, but she was free. Only one thing impeded her from being totally free. On her face, was the mask of the little girl that she once was, forever imprinted with the look of confusion while she used her powers for the final time; itwas there? This new woman reached up and took the mask in her hand, hesitating slightly (being the last time this face would be on her) before pulling it off her face and tossing it to the ground where it turned to dust. Her unnaturally long hair flowed over her face, hiding it completely from view. She stood, finally being able to use her forgotten motor skills to move her body. Then she looked around one last time at her home. The home which she lived in for so long. With a flick of her hand a small platform of stone lifted from the floor itself and became her floating platform, levitating a few feet off the ground. It felt great to use her powers once again, feeling the energy flow through her entire being. It was an indescribable feeling. Though if I could try it was like getting high, but only without the bad side effects and ten times better. Then her lips,which had remained unmoved for those many years curled itself into a smile before she made her way out of her cavern to breathe in the world that she, had long forgotten.

Freedom, thy name is Terra.

* * *

It was unusually foggy that morning. The low clouds seeming to mask the large city and the strange letter "T" that housed the city's protectors. But the city was prone to have a foggy day like this. It just was a normal thing. But this wasn't a normal city. Its five protectors were anything _but_ normal. One was overly obsessive and had a one track mind when it came to solving crimes. And though over the years he had matured into a decent young man he still had that problem. Along with the problem of not admitting his true feelings to a certain female teammate. That teammate had an affect on him. Maybe it was because she wasn't from this world, or that she was unbelievably naive at times, or maybe the fact that she was a good 50 times physically stronger than him and could shoot green solar blasts from her body. Whatever the reason, this tameranian princess, who in his terms he believed to now be as beautiful as a queen made him turn to jelly. Another man of the tower, who some would say was only half a man was like the father of the group. He helped the others when they had problems and was glad to help. But like any person he had his times of sorrow and grief. Being half metal can do that to a person. And even though he looked much less bulky (though nowhere near weaker) than before, his evident half robotic side still sometimes played on his heart. But he has seen that there is no way to change this and has accepted this in his life. He's smart like that. Speaking of only being half human another person on this team is a half as well. Though her side would be referred to as evil, she is not by any means that. Sure, she has her 'temper tantrums' and idly shoots out threats, but she's not a monster. Same couldn't be said for the one who sired her, but lets not get into that. This woman with a secluded personality has her moments when she lets loose (not often, but they do happen) and joins in the merriment of everyday life. But usually she can be found curled up on the sofa, or in a chair, or in her room reading a book that would fry most people's brains. That's just the way she is. Just like her polar opposite who always, and I mean _always _brings her out of her shell. He may be a little 'green around the gills' (excuse my horrible pun)...well actually he's green all over. From his skin to his hair to his emerald eyes that can pull a person in. Along with that smile of his and the way his ears prick up (saying that the ladies dig the ears) when he's happy, it causes anyone in the immediate area to become happy. It's just contagious like that. And speaking of the little green bean (or grass stain, or olive boy, or green butt as his best friend calls him) we find him staring out the overly large windows of the tower he lives in. The tower that houses his life and his family. He's glad that on days like this; the feeling of being cold and alone, he has a home and family that loves him with all their heart (okay, not _all _there heart, but close enough). Hey, and now that we're speaking of being cold and alone, we find someone who is that right now. She stands, perched on a stone platform staring out at the large "T" in the bay, so far away that not even the green bean's super heightened senses can notice. That's a good thing; she doesn't want him to notice her...not yet. Being a sane person she as draped a large cloak over her body to protect herself from the cold. She isn't ready to met him, not until she realizes something, and until she gets herself some clothes. But before she leaves to do just that she utters one word. A word that she has longed to say for so long. 

"BeastBoy."

As if he heard it (and he didn't) he looks up at the source of the sound. He can't see anything, but he could feel something...something familiar. But he can't place his finger on it. He shrugs; once again a comfortable feeling and continues to stare off into the fog. That is until a monotonous voice breaks the silence that has filled the room.

"I would ask you what you are doing, but I see you are completely _enthralled_ by the window pane." came the voice

He smirks, turns and gives her a playful glare before replying

"Yeah, though it's not as good as watching TV."

"I know. How you can spend hours on end watching it is beyond me, but you're prone to do it." she replies

"Well ya got to train yourself for it. You got to give it 110." he continues

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd win the gold medal." she quips

"I know." he replies with a grin.

Moving silently over to the kitchen area she grabs a kettle cuts on the faucet, letting it fill with water. After that task is completed she sets it on the stove, turning the heat to a desirable level and awaits for the kettle to steam. Not being the person to keep quiet our little (okay, not so little anymore) green friend makes conversation again.

"So... Raven...what are you doing up so early?" he asked

"I could say the same for you." she replied

"Well I couldn't get back to sleep after I woke up at 5, count it..." he held up five fingers "5 o'clock." he exclaimed "I just don't know why?" he wondered, scratching his chin

"Maybe because of the fact that you sleep during the day your body now conforms to daylight rest instead of twilight." she responded

"Maybe." he replied "But you still haven't answered my question?" he questioned

"I know that you of all people aren't blind Garfield. So use your eyes."

"Tea." he answered

"And he answered correctly. Give him a prize." she retorted

Once again she was granted with a playful glare. Then he sauntered over and stood no more than a foot away from her before he asked.

"It's my turn to cook breakfast. Want anything special?"

Before she could comment her kettle whistled, informing her that the water was ready.

"Sorry, but tea comes first." she replied after pouring the steaming water into a cup and adding the tea packet.

He slightly frowns, but instantly perked up when he came to a startling realization.

"More for me then."

Okay, it wasn't that startling, but it was a realization.

"Now excuse me, I would like to sit and get back to my book." she said, referring to the leather-back book that was currently resting on the coffee table.

He obliged and moved out her way so that she could past, but the second she took a step her foot came in contact with something big and hairy. The mutant moth known as Silkie (who had grown into a dog sized moth, complete with hair, legs, antenna and wings) shrieked as it was stepped on (bugs just don't get a break, do they?) The shrieking insect started Raven so badly that she tripped and ended up falling. But being a hair quicker she was caught by Garfield. In that close proximity however she panicked, not being the person who like physical contact and tried to pull away. But her tea, her **scalding hot tea** that she had, had in her hands spilled on Garfield's exposed chest (he _was _only wearing long black pants) and burned him. Out of reflex he tightened his hands, which were currently closed around Raven's arms and kept her from pulling way. She tried to push against his chest but to no avail, and saw that the years of training did his body good. She looked up at him (being that he was a good inch or two taller than her) and saw that he was still trying to let the pain the hot liquid caused him to wash over. She couldn't help but let her face turn a couple shades of red as he held her against himself. At that moment the doors to the common room swished open and revealed the half metal man known as Cyborg, or Victor to his friends. After hearing the shriek, being that he had already gotten up to make himself some early breakfast he rushed in to see the problem. But when he saw the _problem _he began to snicker. The teasing side of his nature reared itself and he began to make fun of his friends in their awkward position.

"I hope I haven't interrupted anything. If I have, I can leave so ya'll can have a little _alone _time." he said, emphasizing 'alone'

It was at that time that Garfield looked down to see Raven, in his arms, close to his wet chest, blushing. His face lit up like the Fourth of July as a sheepish smile involuntarily ran across his face. Raven was mortified to say the least as she turned to see Vic trying his best to hold in his laughing. So mortified in fact that a little bit of her power escaped her and caused the kettle, which still had a little scolding hot water inside to blast said water out of its little tube and straight toward Garfield's back. Once again, pain ran through his body and he tightened his grip, causing Raven to press further against his body than she was comfortable with. Not to say that the position before was comfortable, but now her face was buried into his shoulder, where her mouth reluctantly tasted the tea that now coated his upper body.

"_Whoa _you two. Get a room." Victor mocked

In a desperate empty to salvage what little dignity she had left she used her powers to pry Garfield's arms open and quickly headed to her room, bypassing the chuckling cyborg on her way out. Though she didn't miss the chance to send him a threatening glare, even though it had no effect. Side-splitting hilarity can do that to a person. It wasn't until the door closed behind her did Vic let loose, laughing his metallic butt off. If it were possible Garfield's face turned a whole new shade of red. A red that would have put Kori's hair to shame.

"Oh god...I can't...believe...ya'll...why...didn't...ya tell...me...ya'll...were..." he said, gasping between breathes and laughs

But Garfield didn't let him finish.

"Dude, that was totally by accident! She tripped...over Silky and I just kinda caught her!" he yelled

"_Sure._" Vic replied, composing himself a little he asked "So where _is _Silky?" he asked

"Uh..." Garfield began, looking aroundfor the moth.

But after being stepped on the mutant bug made a mad dash for his beloved owner's room.

"Like I said _sure. _It was only Silky. Whatever OliveBoy." Vic replied, not convinced "Next time ya'll want to hug each other lovingly, trying doing it somewhere where nobody will see ya'll." he advised

"It was nothing!" he cried

"Do I have to repeat myself? _Sure _it was an 'accident'." he replied, quoting accident with finger gestures

"It was!" he shrieked

"Whatever man, don't blow a gasket." Vic replied, heading over to the kitchen to cook himself some breakfast

BeastBoy didn't try to stop his friend from cooking the abundance of meat that was about to end on Victor's plate. Maybe it was the current situation he was in, or the situation he _was _in only moments before. Or maybe it was the fact that he was still in searing pain. Whatever the reason he just stood their, trying to come to plausible conclusions on why the fates choose to torture him so.

* * *

Well that's chapter one. Hope ya'll enjoyed reading it. New chapters will be up ASAP. So read and review. I beg of you. 


	2. Stop, In the Name of Breakfast

This is the next chapter to my story. I would like to thank the people that have reviewed. You have given me a little heads up on what I need to improve. Oh, and I would like to state something. I have a knack for trying to put myself into a story I write. Not as a narrator but more like an invisible entity that watches over everything that happens and comments on things. You could call me a ghost. I think it gives my fan-fiction some originality. But that's my own personal opinion. Please enjoy though.

* * *

Step One: She would never again make tea while in _his_ vicinity. 

Step Two: She was going to murder a certain metal man.

Step Three: She was going to murder a certain mutant moth

Step Four: She really needed to meditate.

Step Five: She would eventually apologize for what happened, in truth it wasn't really his fault.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthoss...Azerath Metrion Zinthoss...Azerath Metrion Zinthoss..." she repeated, floating a couple feet over her floor

Her hair wafted ever-so-slightly, brushing up against her shoulders every-so-often. Calmness came to her as the outside world disappeared and was replaced with the solitude of 'her' space. A small comet whizzed by, adding to the tranquility that bore through 'her' space. She felt her breathing return to normal and her heart rate decrease to its normal function rate. This is what she needed, though tea would have been better. Sighing inwardly she knew that the rest of her day would be filled with the snickers of Vic. The metal man loved to make fun of Dick (Robin) and Kori's relationship; if you could call it that. They didn't officially become steady, but with all the time they spent with each other as of late you would think otherwise. And because of this Vic would tease the two lovebirds with a passion. Now should he get even the littlest inclination of something going on between his best friend and the girl he saw as a little sister then his attention would be turned to the mocking of the Goth and changeling. And from what he witnessed in the kitchen area not to long ago, he got an inclination. Opening her eyes she let the dimness of her room wash over her. It gave you a eerie notion that something lurked in the shadows, waiting to strike on its unsuspecting prey. And even though Raven has spent years living in this room it still sometimes gives her the willies as she surveyed the many strange ornaments, statues, and books with strange symbols and languages. She always thought about changing her decor but, she never go around to doing it. Maybe she just didn't care, or maybe she was lazy? Who knows? But once again the thoughts of the future of her day came across her mind and she sighed again, outwardly this time.

"Today is just going to be _super._" she said to herself, almost wishing that the sentence wasn't coated with sarcasm.

* * *

She stood outside the clothing store. It was nothing like the one at the mall, with clothes that were meant for show and not durability. The store was open, but with the dense fog that had rolled into the city nobody decided that today would be the best day for clothes shopping. She looked on, into the window and saw clothes hanging from hooks or folded across tables. Shoes and boots lined the walls in the far back and above them laid socks and other unmentionables. How she wished to wear them. Sure, the cloak was keeping her warm, but only enough to keep her from catching her death of pneumonia. Even with the large, heavy clothe she was freezing her butt off. She decided then and their to fully cloth herself. Even if it meant committing a crime. Something that she wasn't to thrilled for but survival was necessary.

* * *

"And then we tried on the many clothes that the shopping mall presents." came a sweet voice 

Though the years had matured the young princess into the alien woman she was now, Kori still had that sweet innocence she had in her younger days. This was the reason Dick adored her so. She would still latch onto him should she have a question that needed answering and he was more than willing to oblige. He was lovesick, and he knew it. He just couldn't bring himself to express that because of what he called 'preservation of the team'. He stated that a relationship within the team might cause the team to fall apart should that relationship turn sour. Now everyone on the team knew that when, oh yes, when Dick and Kori finally admitted their feelings for one another there relationship wouldn't go sour. As long as Kori kept Dick from working too hard. And trust me, she could. As of right now she was flirting with him on the way to the common room; cleverly disguising it as idle talk about her and Raven's trip to the mall recently.

"Did you find anything nice?" Dick asked

"Oh yes, I discovered a beautiful dress that was necessary for me to purchase." she replied

"Oh, that nice."

"Oh yes, and I wish to wear it. Very, very soon." she replied, lowering her voice to an almost seductive level

Dick's face flushed.

"Well I hope you do too." he replied

"Would you wish to see it?" she asked innocently, though her green eyes betrayed something else...

"Well maybe, but since you just bought it I wouldn't want you to get it wrinkled by showing it to me." he replied

"Oh it is no trouble. I shall simply try it on and show you, then I shall return it to the protective plastic that came with it on its purchase." she replied

"What!" he yelped, then he felt really stupid. The thoughts of Starfire in a seductive dress running their course in his brain "I-I-I mean...uh..."

Yep. Safe to say he was feeling pretty stupid now. Kori just had that effect on him.

"Okay you two, stop flirtin'." came a voice

The two tore away from each other to lock eyes with Vic, who had been standing at the door of the common room. Apparently done with breakfast and heading about his day. Both their faces went red as Vic eyed them. But strangely he didn't push the subject. He simply said.

"Well Kor, I hope for Dick's sake ya _don't_ wear that dress anytime soon. Don't think he could handle it."

Then he walked past them and down the hall before he disappeared around a corner, mumbling something about Gar and Rae.

"That was very, very strange. Why did friend Victor not do the teasing when he overheard us?" Kori asked

"Don't know?" Dick shrugged "He has an annoying habit of doing just that." Dick replied, sneering a bit

The two pondered the question a little more before finally giving up and concluding that Vic was a little off today. Upon entering the common room they happen to spot Gar sitting on a stool at the kitchen area staring at his tofu eggs and bacon with a mortified look on his face. A face which was tinged with red.

"Hey Garfield." came Dick

Garfield mumbled his acknowledge meant continuing to glare at his food. If he had Kori's powers green lasers would have shot out of his eyes.

"You okay?" Dick asked

Garfield just wasn't acting like his happy-go-lucky self.

"Yes friend. Are you not feeling well?" Kori asked, concerned

Anytime one of her friends acted strangely she was concerned. And by the looks of it Garfield was acting _very_ strangely indeed.

"I'm fine." he replied, that red tingle never leaving his face

"Okay?" Dick comment, not thoroughly convinced. Then he absentmindedly asked "Wonder where Raven's at? She's usually down here drinking her tea by now."

"I didn't do anything with Raven!" Gar blurted out, scaring his two friends completely

Then...he jaw dropped. Real smooth Gar. **Real** _smooth_.

"I didn't say you did." Dick replied trying to regain his senses. That wasn't too hard in his case. That's when his tone got serious. "But, did you do anything to Raven?" he asked

Raven was a good friend of his. Of course he would be protective. And once again, not thinking on how he was going to say it Gar blurted out...

"No!"

Robin's masked eyes narrowed and burned into Garfield. If _he_ had Kori's powers they would have burned a hole clean through his head.

"BeastBoy?" Dick asked in a threatening tone

Recently, the only time anyone on the team referred to each other by their super-hero names it meant one of two things. They were in public or someone was in trouble.

"Did you do anything to Raven?" Dick asked slowly, his tone never wavering

Gar squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. Kori noticed. She had noticed throughout the short conversation that BeastBoy looked...embarrassed for some reason. Then she thought how Victor had acted when he left the common room. Then she put two and two together and got four. Dick was only getting about a two, or one half. Dick was about to push further but Kori interrupted him before he had a chance to reply.

"Dick. I believe that Garfield is suffering from the teasing from friend Victor and it somehow involved friend Raven. Please, there is no need to be angered with Garfield. If he does not want to share the experience then we should not push him into trying." she calmly and surely, sounding like one of the people in the many documentaries that she watched.

Dick looked at Kori, then back to Garfield. That's when he noticed the flushed look on the green bean's face. Smiling slightly he responded...

"Right Kori."

He was given a bright smile by Kori which melted him like butter. He had just enough self-composure to head to the kitchen area to make himself some breakfast. Garfield looked up and silently thanked her for the quick save, which she acknowledge with a slight nod before finally digging his fork into his plate and eating. His mortified expression was gone but his face was still slightly flushed. Kori smirked. Something very juicy must have happened and the mischievous little girl that loved to hear gossip started to rise in her. She would ask Raven about what happened later. Right now she wanted some of her homemade pudding. Pudding she so rightly named 'Breakfast Pudding of Merriment'. Although to anyone else it wouldn't be so merry. On her way to the kitchen area she noticed something on the floor. Bending down to pick it up she examined it momentarily and came to the conclusion of what is was.

"Why is this tea cup on the floor?" she wondered

She shrugged after another moment of thought before heading over to join Dick and Garfield in breakfast.

* * *

Well that's chapter two ladies and gentlemen. This was pretty much a self explanatory chapter about chapter one. But in chapter two you will see the plot of the story unfold. So please read and review. Its the little button at the bottom of the screen. Thank you! 


	3. Deals Half off or WhatNot

This is Chapter Three of my story. Now I get involved in the plot. Like how a certain someone, or should I say something will be arising soon, and the relationship between a certain shape-shifter and certain Goth. Also I will be introducing an OC team that the Titans will have to battle.though it does include original Titans characters. I think it'll help the story along. So please...do me a favor and read/review. I thank you.

* * *

He hated his confinement...he hated it with every fiber of his being. Oh, how he longed to be free once more. Being able to breathe the fresh air, to stretch his muscles, spread his wings to the sky, to use his powers freely, to see more than just what he did while confined in the mystic text. Text...he had grown to hate that word. All he ever did was read text. From mystical books to parchments that no mere mortal could understand, he read text. That's all he ever did. He hated the one who trapped him in the book in the first place, a powerful wizard that dared to challenge his might. Luck, it was merely luck that the wizard was able to trap him. He should have been more careful when it came to that book. He hated the second wielder of the book. _HER_,_ she_ trapped him within the book once again, only after he had but a mere taste of freedom...freedom after so long. He should have reduced her to cinders when he had the chance. But freedom tasted so good that he became drunk from it. He would not make that mistake again...if he ever got the chance. Though he hated it, he continued to read, trying to find some way, some loophole that would free him. He knew of only one way. It took him one thousand years to discover that, and he knew that she would not be swayed by his silver tongue again. He had to find another. Fortunately for him he was not as bound to the book as before. This girl was not as powerful as the wizard before her so her seal was less powerful. He may be bound, but a small portion of his mind was able to wander the free world. Not much, but it was a suitable amount. His mind couldn't wander far, only as far as the city that he resided in, within the tower he resided in, within the room he resided in, within the chest he resided in, within the book he resided in. 

"I reside in a lot of objects." he thought to him self

He could not find a suitable being though. Well...not exactly. There was the Hex Witch, but her powers might just make the curse stronger. And by the looks of it had no interest in coming to this tower, let alone to steal the book and use it for her own purposes. So she could not be relied on. He searched through the city, looking for any suitable person, but found none. He nearly lost hope of freedom and the prospect of revenge when he sensed a strange power. It was very unlike the half-demon's power that had released him once before, or even the white magic of the wizard that confined him the first time. No, this power was more...chaotic. He was familiar with this type of magic, Chaos Magic. He knew that power such as this was immense for it was linked to the natural instability of the world. He also knew magic like this always had a price however. And a being who possessed this level of Chaos magic would surely want something in return. But he was determined to be free once more, no matter the cost. Besides, he was a master of manipulation. He could easily bargain something with the entity that possessed this power. It was all a matter of word-play.

"I shall once again be free...and dear sweet Raven shall pay." he whispered to himself quietly.

* * *

You know you live with very strange people when they start to flash. Well...okay...only their clothes flashed, but they still flashed. All the Titans instantly knew what the flashing meant and they all rushed to the common room to see what exactly the disturbance was. Their faithful leader was already on the computer, pin-pointing the disaster. Seemed like there was a disturbance involving a certain guy that thought he was stronger than any other person around. Raven groaned internally when she saw the big flashing 'A' symbol, indicating that it was Adonis. Every time, and I mean _every_ time they did battle with that guy he just had to say something or make a comment directed toward her 'feistiness', as he so put it. She swore that if she wasn't a hero she'd put him six feet under, and then some. But she quickly gathered herself. 

"The quicker we end this, the less time he has to spew that condescending garbage of his." she muttered

Then Robin barked the famous catch-phrase of the Teen Titans; a catch-phrase that may _be_ old, but would never _get_ old.

"Titans Go!"

* * *

Having a new pair of clothes did wonders for the body. She wasn't cold anymore, and she had to say, she looked stylish. Not saying that she wanted to attract attention mind you. But it was still nice to look nice while you hid in the shadows. As she made her way down the shadowed alley ways she pondered on how she would tell him she was back. Eventually he would find out; when he went to her cave and saw that she wasn't there. Unless he thought she had crumbled to dust and was no longer among the land of the living. No, she didn't want him to think she was dead but, she didn't want to tell him she was alive right away. This would take some time, and careful planning. However 'careful planning' took a back seat when she heard a loud noise in the distance...

* * *

It didn't take long for the titans to arrive at their destination. It never took them long. They had a knack for arriving at a crime scene very quickly. They could already see a wake of destruction left behind by Adonis; cars turned up, building ready to cave in, and the street cracked in several places. 

"Bus!" yelled BeastBoy followed by a squawk and whistle as his parrot wings guided him through the air.

There was indeed a bus, which had been carelessly flung through the air by a super-powerful robotic suit of armor, currently being piloted by Adonis. Fortunately Raven was able to react quick enough to stop the threatening vehicle in mid-air with her powers and carry it behind her while the Titans continued to close in on their target.

"Yeah baby, Adonis is looking good!" he said to himself, kissing robotic biceps

"Maybe, but you're about to be looking rather bad." quipped Robin with one of his patented one-liners

"Was waiting for you wussies to show up..." he began, then directing over to Raven "Especially you hot-stuff." he replied, winking a suggestive eye

Raven rolled her eyes and launched the bus at the macho meathead. Adonis easily caught the bus and smiled, trying to show off his muscle. But he didn't have long because a certain tameranian decided to make her presence known. She dived-bomb into the bus from the back and flew down the isle increasing speed as she went, bursted through the front window, and finally made her fist connect with Adonis's jaw. The force of the punch forced the bus out of Adonis's arms and sent him on a collision course with a nearby office building.

"Nice job Star!" called Robin as he and the rest of the Titans caught up to stand by her side

"I thank you Robin." she replied, ever happy that she could please him

"Geeze Star, ya really decked him. Surprised ya didn't break his jaw." came BeastBoy scratching the back of his head

"Would have made my day, then he wouldn't be able to speak his arrogant mind." came Raven spitefully

"Come on ya'll, looks like macho-boy is gettin' back up." came Cyborg, prepping his sonic cannon.

Just as that was said the spoken criminal erupted from the debris that acted as a blanket for him for a few moments. Pieces of mortar and brick flew everywhere as he freed himself from his office building prison.

"Ya little air-headed girlfriend got in a lucky punch wuss. Don't worry, I'll make sure I return the favor." came Adonis

A nerve in Robin's forehead twitched when Adonis insulted Starfire and a series of electro disks told Adonis that Robin didn't like when someone insulted Starfire. The explosive devices detonated on his robotic hide, not causing much damage but forcing Adonis to take a few steps back. The electro disk attack was then followed up by a sonic blast and made the metal muscled fool skid across the ground; heels digging into the pavement. Finally a combined blast of Starfire's Starbolts and Raven's powers caused the poor fool to be cratered into the ground. When the smoke cleared Adoniswas laidmotionless in the crater. Butsomething felt amiss, and Raven sensed it.

"Though it pains me to say it, shouldn't he still be fighting? He may be an egotistic jerk, but Adonis doesn't give up that easily." she mused

"You know, you're right. Somethings up." replied Cyborg,rubbing his metal chin in deep thought

And something was up..._way _up. Dropping down from a the tall buildings that lined the citytwofamiliar robots landed nearby, causing the ground to shake under their weight. Large cracks formed under their feet asthe Titans turned to see their new threat, slightly stunned at their ground-shaking entrance (beautiful pun).Adonis meanwhile climbed out of his hole so that he could properly introduce the new group that now stood before the Titans.

"I'd like you weaklings to meet, THE DEMOLITION CREW!" he bellowed.

* * *

He let his mind wander the city, searching for the being that possessed the chaotic powers that would free him. It was deep in a nearby mountain where time seemed to have no effect. Everything was quiet; everything was still. That was until he wandered into the forgotten cave and a pair of yellow eyes shot open, sensing his presence. 

"I see I have a visitor." came an low, decrepit female voice

"Your powers must be great if they could sense a wandering mind such as my own." replied a smooth male voice

"I have spent many a year in solitude. So any disturbance in my caveI can easily depict. And speaking of many a year, I see that you as well have spent so long, bind by a spell...a very ancient spell."

"I believe you are familiar with this spell?" asked the smooth voice

"Yes, I have encountered such a spell before, and I have mastered it. I assume you wish to break free from said spell." she replied

"You read my mine." he said. You could sense the grin that he portrayed.

"But know this, all things wished for come at a price." she warned

"That is true. But maybe we can come to some sort of, arrangement?" he asked

* * *

Adonis brushed himself off as he made his way over to the two criminals that the titans now stood between. 

"Like my team?" Adonis asked "They've wanted to crush you puny fools for a long time."

"Ah, the half-human nothing and his pathetic human friends." came the taunting voice belonging to Atlas, the robotic gladiator

The other, another robot that Cyborg had faced once before simply grinned, clanging his two steamroller-like hands together to show he was ready for battle

"Atlas and Steamroller, been a while." Cyborg began. He sneered at the two robot behemoths as they gave him taunting grins. "Why ya'll team up with Adonis? Thought ya'll didn't like _humans_." Cyborg sneered

"He maybe a feeble human, but his robotic strength makes him a valuable ally. I simply joined him so that I could get my vengeance on you and your friends human."

"Well then, lets see ya put you're money where you're big-fat mouth is." Cyborg replied

"Gladly." he said, glaring before he charged full throttle at the Titans

Steamroller and Adonis, not wanting to be left out of the fight charged right after Adonis, more than ready to break a few bones.

"Titans Go!" barked Robin and the Titans were off to do battle with the metallic muscled Demolition Team.

* * *

From her location, in a back ally a few blocks away from the battle the geo-sorceress watched with steadfast attentiveness. She watched as the combatants seemed to separate into three separate battles. Robin and Starfire matched step-to-step with Atlas as he tried to use his impressive might to clobber the tameranian princess and masked vigilante. Cyborg went head-to-head with Steamroller as the strange contsruction robot tried to live up to his name, and finally Raven and BeastBoy went toe-to-toe with Adonis as he tried to pound them into the dirt. As she watched the battles raged she had the urge to go assist them, and almost did when she heard Robin yell 'Titans Go!' But she knew she couldn't. She could not be discovered yet. Her sudden appearance would cause turmoil for the Titans and she had already caused enough of that before. She could not interfere with this battle, no matter how much she wanted to help her friends...to help BeastBoy.

* * *

"What sort of arrangement do you speak of?" asked the old witch 

"A simple exchange of goods." replied the smooth voice

"Elaborate." came the witch

"Okay. As you have stated earlier you have spent many a years secluded within this cave and have no knowledge of the outside world or the changes that have taken place. Am I correct?" he explained

"I have viewed the outside world through my mirror. I know of the changes that have taken place. I am not completely in the dark of the world." the witch replied

"Maybe, but you have never experienced them first hand as I have. Do you not wish to be able to walk the world of men freely and without restraint?" he asked

"Yes, I do. However, my body is too frail to journey to far from my cave." she explained

"Ah, then we are at common ground. We both wish to be free from what binds us, we both desire the means of obtaining that freedom." he mused

"What is it that _you_ desire?" asked the witch

"What I desire is purely this. I desire freedom from this wretched confinement that I now reside in. I desire the ability to become free from this confinement and you have the power to do just that. I desire for you to free me from my binding." he replied

"And for this deed, what will I receive in return?" asked the witch

"You desire competent mobility, yes?" he asked "But your body is much to frail." he began "Therefore, this is my declaration. If you grant me freedom, then I shall grant _you _the means to leave this cave." he finished

"How is that?" asked the witch

"Simple, by granting you a new body. Consequently I just happen to have the perfect body in mind." he replied, a cold chill of evil washed over the small cave as he made his declaration.

* * *

"Raah!" roared Atlas as he brought his fist down on Starfire and Robin, although they easily evaded it with acrobatic expertise and effortless flight. 

Robin's bo-staff came naturally out went he put his hand to his belt and extended it far. Before initializing his attack he looked for flaws in Atlas's stance and saw many. Effortlessly spinning the weapon in his hand he ran forth, determined to take this robotic criminal down. Once again Atlas's fist came down but Robin hopped away, spun his entire body, and used the influence of the sharp turn to bring the bo-staff clean across Atlas's face. Atlas's entire head spun around for some time before he finally took hold of it and reposition it correctly. But by that time starbolts rained down on him, pinning him in place with explosions and bright green light. He felt a second force collide with his body and exploded, most likely Robin aiding Starfire in her attack by releasing a wave of electro disks. Tired of this bombardment Atlas reached out and grabbed the nearest things he could,this happening to be a minivan. With a slight grin he flung the family vehicle at the two Titans. Starfire ceased her attack as she watched a few starbolts rip through the minivan before the alleged car came spiraling in her direction. Luckily a certain masked warrior plucked her from the air, saving her from being crushed by the tacky-colored vehicle.

"I thank you Robin for my timely rescue." Starfire said, a hint of a blush creeping across he face

"No prob Star." replied copying Starfire's expression

Although, while the two lovebirds gawked dreamily at one another, Atlas decided to get some well needed revenge on the two. He jumped high in the air and then let gravity take hold as he extended both feet to squash them like the bugs he thought they were. Robin and Starfire noticed a large shadow on the ground grow bigger, then looked up to see Atlas dropping like a rock. Meanwhile Cyborg had his hands full with Steamroller, who easily overpowered him in brute strength. But Cyborg was faster, and could far better control his strength than Steamroller his. When Steamroller slammed his strange fist down at the cybernetic Titan Cyborg either evaded the attack or used Steamrollers own momentum to throw the criminal construct off balance. Letting rage take over Steamroller swung his arms around manically, not caring if hewhat he hit, but that he did hit something. Cars, debris, lamps, mailboxes, etc were thrown threw the air, forcing Cyborg to shield himself or be pelted by the oncoming bits and pieces that once were part of the block. After the raining down of objects ceased he felt a cold, hard weight come down on his back. He was forced down, causing the road to sink under the combined weight of himself and the weight that had come down on him. Cyborg turned his head slightly to see Steamroller pressing his entire weight on Cyborg's back.

"Didn't we already have this conversation?" Cyborg asked, slightly annoyed

Pulling his right arm completely back he charged his sonic cannon and fired but, Steamroller had anticipated the attack and dodged to the left. Yet he didn't anticipate the next attack for Cyborg had pulled his left arm back as well, mere seconds after the first and fired again. This time the blast hit its mark sending the oversized rolling pin a good ten feet into the air backwards before landing on the street on his back, hard.

"Now, I don't want be having this conversation anymore."lectured Cyborg

Seemingly not caring Steamroller rose to his feet and once again charged at Cyborg.

"Guess they'll never learn." he muttered before bracing his body for an attack

Now it is not everyday that you see a T-Rex barreling down the street, unless of course you live in Jump City. If you do then you most likely see a green T-Rex barreling down the street everyday. And this green T-Rex just happened to be barreling down the street to take out a man in a bright red enhancement suit.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!" roared the T-Rex, and uninhibited primal roar as it made it way over to Adonis

Adonis lifted up a car and used it as a bat to swat the T-Rex away. The car exploded on impact and sent the large animal into a small grocery store. The T-Rex morphed into BeastBoy when it made contact with the window of the grocery store. The much smaller body was sent down an isle only to crash into a pyramid of Lucky Charms. When the boxes ceased to fall BeastBoy dizzily climbed from the pile of General Mills food, inadvertently taking hold of a box.

"Hey, they're half off." he joked and started to chuckle to himself.

That was until he saw Raven and Adonis do battle, hand-to-hand. Adonis was unrelenting when it came to trying to crush Raven, only giving her enough time to raise a small shield to block his attacks.

"Oh, you're good baby. But not as good as Adonis." he jawed

Raven didn't respond. She waited until he threw a punch, dodged it and wrapped her arms around his fist. Then with a combination of her powers and Adonis's own momentum she flung him over her shoulder and onto his back.

"You were saying?" she asked, content that she had showed up the loser

He didn't reply, as she thought he would, but instead he lunged out and tried to grab her, but she just saw the attack coming and hopped back. But that didn't stop him from snagging a piece of her cloak and ripping it off.

"You will pay for that." Raven told him in an icy tone, staring down at her cloak that now looked more like Robin's cape.

Adonis lifted himself up with a dark smile. He brought the ripped material to his nose and took a deep whiff. A low purr escaped his lips as he took in the scent of the ripped cloak.

"Pig." she spat

Her hand began to glow black and as she did so the ground beneath the two began to shake. Then with an utterance of her magic words something devastating happened.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!"

The street literally began to swallow Adonis as is crept up his legs, surrounding them in concrete and asphalt. And, upon closer examination it looked as if a monster was rising from the street itself to devour him. Black eyes formed along with concrete teeth and a strange howl seemed to resonate from its 'throat'. Safe say he panicked.

"Waah! Ahh! Help me!" he hollered

Raven didn't show it but she enjoyed torturing the pathetic man in a robot suit. However because of his state of mind he attacked the 'monster' attacking him, wildly bringing his arms down at it, in turn comprosing the structural integrity of the already weakened road. At that moment BeastBoy was sauntering out of the grocery store that he had demolished, eating a box of Lucky Charms. He turned to Adonis to see him being eaten by the road and Raven hovering a few feet away, her hand radiating with her powers.

"Dude, Raven is so creepy. Shoot, I don't like the guy either but give him a break. Geeze." he said, though it was muffled by a mouthful of free cereal. (Hey, superheroes should be able to get free cereal). Turning back to his cereal...

In a desperate attempt at stopping the 'monster' from gorging itself on him he flung a piece of road he had chipped off at Raven. His hopes were that the piece of road would take her out, thus ceasing the attack on his person. Raven saw the attack coming and adeptly sidestepped the attack without as much as batting an eye. Problem was that BeastBoy was a few feet behind her, and unlike her he was too busy with the hearts, stars, and horseshoes; clovers and blue moons; pots of golden rainbows and the red balloons to notice the big chunk of concrete heading his way. Her turned slightly, then everything went black. Fortunately he had such a thick skull so the impact didn't kill him. Unfortunately the piece of road hurt like hell and he instantly lost conciousness. Raven heard a hollow clunk from behind her and turned to see BeastBoy fall flat on his face. Cereal washed over the street as his body lay motionless on the ground.

"BeastBoy?" she said stunned, the power seeping from her hand ceasing abruptly

She slowly levitated over to him slightly stunned as if she were in a daze, not believing he was hurt in such away. She turned his body over to see if he was okay, finding that he was out like a light with atrickle ofdrool coming from his mouth. A small knot on the top of his head which she healed with a wave of her hand.

"Wake up BeastBoy." she said, keeping her voice flat

He moaned a little but didn't awaken.

"Wake up." she said again, her voice never wavering

He twitched a little but still did not awake

"Wake." she commanded

She didn't realize it but her face was in close proximity of his. For some reason her body heat rose and she felt a strange sensation climbing up her chest. With a cough his eyes fluttered open, revealing dulled emeralds.

"Are you okay?" she asked

With a groan he responded "Yeah...but Raven..." he began, his face growing ever closer

"Yeah?" she asked, her eyelids slightly falling

"Do ya think I'll have to pay for that cereal?" he asked

She didn't know why, but once again BeastBoy had ruined a 'moment' between them, if it was that at all.

"I think they'll overlook that little inconvenience when the owners find out that a green T-Rex demolished their store." she replied, her sarcastic nature coming to surface

"Oh...too bad I dropped my cereal." he mused, propping himself up in a sitting position

"Yeah, too bad." she replied

"Yeah, that _is_ too bad." came a voice from behind

They both looked up to see Adonis standing over them, his fists raised high in the air; ready to smash the two Titans into the dirt. Luckily for the a certain Cyborg came to their rescue, even though in reality he was thrown through the air and collided with Adonis, sending the little man into the same demolished grocery store.

"Hey, ya'll alright?" Cyborg asked, rubbing his cranium

"We're fine." Raven replied

"Alright, but could ya get back to the fight, we kinda need you two lovebirds" he responded

A blood vessel in Raven's head surged. "If you do not want to experience pain like no other then you will not speak another word of that. **Got it?**" she threatened

"Got it Raven..." he replied, putting his hands up in defense while back up slowly

"Good."

Then she turned to BeastBoy.

"You ready?" she asked

"Dude, I was born ready. I am BeastBoy after all." he replied

"Yeah, I know, and that's what scares me." she told him

He glared at her but, like usual he let it slide. He turned to the grocery store to see Adonis climbing out, rubbing his head.

"I'll handle Steamroller." she declared, then took off to do battle with the declared villian

"Wanna try out the 'Slam Dunk' Cy?" BeastBoy asked

"You know it." he replied

BeastBoy morphed into an armadillo and jumped into the air into Cyborg's arms. Cyborg ran up to Adonis, the green armadillo curled up in his arms. When he was only a few feet away, Cyborg jumped into the air and threw the armadillo down with all his might. Mid-fall the armadillo changed form. Adonis looked up to see a Brachiosaurus land right on top him.

* * *

"I do hope that this arrangement is too your liking?" asked the smooth male voice 

"It is very much so, if youare able keep up your ended of the arrangement." replied the old witch

"Do not worry regarding that subject. You will have what is yours when you grant my wish." he told her

"So be it, but remember, all wishes come at a price."

"I know." he replied

* * *

This is chapter three readers. I hope you enjoy it. It took me forever to get this down. I had serious writers block, plus schoolwork. Not a pretty combination. Give me comments, suggestions, anything. It would help me with this story greatly. I have plenty of ideas but I need a way to string them along. But please, just enjoy the story. 


	4. Deceiving, Stealing, and Dancing

I thank you readers for reading chapter three of my story. Chapter four is when things start to get juicy. Dick and Kori finally have...The Talk. And for the other two Titans things start to heat up.And Cyborg learns a new lesson.But read if you want to find out more. I thank you again and hope you all enjoy.

* * *

"Arrgh!" roared Robin as he slumped into Titans Tower. "How could we let them get away!" he yelled 

Robin was angry at the villains for eluding the team. He was angry at the team as a whole for letting them get away. But mostly he was angry at himself because he didn't lead his team to victory. Blaming himself for the Demolition Team's escape, thinking that if he had, had more control in that battle the Titans would have prevail. He hated when things like this happened. He had such high hopes for himself and his team and failure would weight heavily on him.

"Please remain calm Dick; we could not have foreseen the collapse of the block. It was an uncontrollable matter. I am just exultant that the road did not collapse completely. Though the reason why eludes me." Kori told him, trying to comfort her beau the best way she could

"But we were so close to victory. Maybe if I had countered that punch a little sooner then maybe..." he began to trail off, getting lost in his one track mind.

Luckily the voice of reason on the team spoke up and pulled Dick from himself before he got too immersed in the matter.

"What happened, happened Dick. There is no way around that, and there is nothing we can do until they decided to surface. So please, stop degrading yourself. Your leadership had nothing to do with the turn-of-events. As Kori stated, it was an uncontrollable matter. With all the punishment the street took it was only a matter of time before it caved in. It is not ours, and especially not yours that the Demolition team took advantage of that and escaped. So stop moping around and let's go about our day like civilized individuals." Raven rationalized

Dick wanted to argue with her logic, he felt his pride needed to, he even opened his mouth to argue, but he knew it was pointless. Raven brought up a very good point that Dick could not ignore, and knowing Raven she had a perfect way to defend her point so he closed his mouth and tried to cheer up.

"I guess you're right Raven." he replied

"When am I not?" she asked

Dick couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks for that." he told her

"No problem." she replied

"Okay, now that, that crisis is averted let's get to more serious matters..."Victor interjected

There was a dramatic pause.

"Playing Ultimate Fighter 12!" he bellowed, punching a fist in the air

"Oh yeah Vic, you are so going down!" BeastBoy cheered behind him

"Not if I get there first Gar!" replied Dick just as happily, obviously getting over his slump

"And our day beings." quipped Raven

The boys were about to clamper over one another to get to the Game-station, but one was held fast by a hand on his shoulder. The surprised changeling freaked, nearly losing his balance at the sudden grab.

"Wah! Ahh! Huh? Oh?" he turned to see a pale hand on his shoulder. "What's shaking Rae?" he asked with a lopsided grin

"One, do not call me 'Rae', it's Raven. And two, we need to talk." she replied

"But...Game-station?" he questioned, almost pleading

"Now." she replied indifferent

"Aww man." he whined, while being pulled away.

He was pulled until they were in the main hall and the doors to the common room were completely closed.

"Alright Rae..."

She gave him a glare.

"...ven, Ra-ven, what do ya got on your mind?" he asked

The glare, itleft her face and returned to its normal deadpan expression before she replied

"About what happened this morning, I'm sorry for the whole 'burning you with scalding hot tea' fiasco."

"Dude, don't worry about that. You've hurt me plenty of ways. Hot tea is a walk in the park compared to what you do to me usually." he said

"Well _you_ usually cause me to hurt you." she replied

"Yeah..." he chuckled sheepishly

"So, apology accepted?" she asked

"Yeah, and 'sides I should be apologizing to you. Sorry 'bout the whole grabbing you thing. My bad." he said

"That is all right. Surprisingly it wasn't you fault for once." she answered back

"Hey! You make it sound like everything's my fault!" he shot

"Isn't it always?" she retorted

"Wow, thanks for the shot at my self-esteem Raven." he said, mimicking her sarcasm

"That's what I'm here for." she replied with a slight grin

Soon after that comment there was an odd moment of awkward silence, butGarfield broke it.

"So can you let..." he began

"Go ahead and play you're pointless game with the boys." she finished for him

"That, and can you let go of my hand?" he asked

Raven had completely forgotten that after she dragged him out of the room that she had yet to let go of his hand during the entire conversation. At the comment however she shoved his hand at him as if it were diseased.

"Geeze Raven, I _did_ take a shower this morning...I think." he responded, slightly offended

"I'll be in my room." she responded, impassively

Then she turned and walked away, her body completely hidden by her cloak.

"Okay then." he called after her, but it had been so low that she hadn't heard.

As he made his way back to the common room Garfield couldn't help but ponder over that awkward moment.

"Dude, what is Raven's deal? First she drags me away from the Game-station, then she apologizes; Raven never apologizes, then she doesn't let go of my hand, and when she does throws it at me like it was going to bite. I don't bite...much." he said with a slight grin "Finally she just takes off without saying anything." he sighs "Dude, sometimes I wonder what goes on in that creepy little head of hers." he thought out loud.

Problem was he thought out a little _too_ loud.

"Yo green bean, stop talkin' to yourself. People might think you'recrazier than you already are." Vic told him

Guess being in deep thought can tune you out to the outside world. To try and make himself less of a dork he grabbed what he thought was Starfire and said

"I was talking to Starfire!"

However it was actually Silky who he grabbed, which made the situation worse.

"In-sane." Vic replied, voicing the word

With his dignity smashed once again he slouched over to the sofa to watch his two friends beat the living tar out of one another. The mutant moth that had unexpectedly been pulled into the conversation now rested onto of Gar's spiky green-haired head.

"I got winners." Gar told them

"What, so I can whoop you a good thirty times before you give up?" Vic replied

"Hey! I've gotten better!" he defended

"Yeah, I guess. You're about as bad as Dick over here." Vic countered

That was when Cyborg's character was beaten severely with a rapid combo of kicks and punches.

"You were saying?" both Garfield and Dick said in unison.

"Hey! I said you..." referring to Garfield "...where _almost_ as bad as Dick. And you..." referring to Dick "...I was just distracted by B over here. The battle's not over yet." he exclaimed

"Right Vic, blame your loss on me." Garfield said

"Shut it. You ain't even playing cause Rae pulled ya away so ya'll could be _alone_."

"We just talked!" Gar defended yet again

"_Right_ B."

"We did!"

"Like I said, _right_. I'm just glad ya'll just_ talked_ away from us this time."

"This time?" Dick questioned

"Yeah, should have seen earlier. They was totally making ou..." but he couldn't finish because a green hand clamped over his big mouth.

"Can I speak with you best buddy?" Gar asked "**Over here?**" he asked, trying to hide his annoyance behind a wall of innocence.

Then with surprising strength he pulled Vic over to the kitchen area before Dick could question him.

"Are you trying to get Dick to kill me or do you just enjoy watching me suffer!" he asked loudly, though quiet enough not to alert Dick.

"The second one, but what are ya talkin about? Dick got no reason to kill you." he replied

"You know how he is. If he even thinks I did anything wrong with Raven he'll jump on me like...like...like most of the animals I turn into." Gar told him

"Dick ain't gonna do anything. He's your friend, and he knows you wouldn't do anything to Rae. So stop worrying, he ain't gonna get you." he replied

"That's what you think." Gar mumbled

"What?"

"Nothing dude."

"Come on B." he told his friend, patting him on the shoulder and directing him toward the sofa.

* * *

Well she apologized like she said she would and now she was in her room reading a book. Well she was _trying_ to read a book but, was being constantly bugged by an annoying tameranian. 

"Please friend, inform me on what it was that you and friend Garfield spoke of?"

"I have already told you Kori. I simply apologized for a mishap earlier in the morning and nothing more." Raven replied

"That is not what I observed." Kori responded

Raven's eyes narrowed.

"You were spying?" she asked, threatening her.

"Uh...yes?" Kori replied sheepishly

Raven moaned.

"Look, Starfire. Nothing happened. I just apologized and that was it. Now can we please drop the subject?" Raven asked

"If you wish friend. What else do you wish to speak of?" Kori asked

"Don't know, why don't you enlighten me." Raven replied

"Okay..." she said, going into deep thought.

A certain raven-haired boy came to mind.

"Raven, if I ask you a question, you will answer truthfully, correct?" Kori asked

"There is no point in lying Kori, it just leads to more lies." Raven responded

"Okay, I wish to pose this question. Do you know of Dick's feelings for myself, his _true_ feelings?" she asked, a semblence of blush creeping onto her face

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Raven suggested

"I would, but as I try I feel the timidness grab hold of me and I can not ask him." she replied

"Doesn't stop you from flirting." Raven retorted

"You know of my flirting with Dick?" she asked

"Kori, how could I not know? You make it painfully obvious. Everyone in the tower knows. You know you know, and I'm pretty sure that Dick knows." Raven replied

"Oh." she replied, looking down at her crossed legs

Raven sighed, this girl was pathetic.

"Kori, if do not want to impose anything on you without Dick's approval..." she began

Kori's face saddened.

"But if you really want to know I believe he's crazy for you. He just won't let go of his pride to act on his feelings." Raven replied

Kori instantly perked up and in a burst of happiness rushed over to Raven and enveloped her in a bone crushing hug.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you Raven! I thank you with the mirth of a thousand mercalls!" she exclaimed

"Kori ribs, ribs!" Raven barely chocked out as the air in her was squeezed out

Painfull popping noise could be heard before Kori released Raven from the death hug. While Raven regained her breath Kori flew around the dark room with such joy that if you bottled it up you would make millions.

"Whatever. I still suggest that you ask him yourself. This _is_ only speculation on my part." she told her

"Oh..." Kori murmered

Raven simply shook her head disapointedly

"Friend, it is just very...difficult to simply tell Dick me feelings. I do not know the right way to approach it." Starfire told her

"Kori, look. I'm not into being the whole 'relationship adviser' but if I were you I would just wait until he's alone and tell him." Raven suggested

"Do you think he would accept my proclamation?" Kori asked

"From the way he idlizes you I'm pretty sure he would." Raven replied

"Oh, I thank you once again friend!" Starfire shrieked

"Don't touch me." Raven told her, never removing her emotionless expression from her face

"Okay, I shall simply leave and wait until Robin is alone. Then I shall express my true feelings for him." she explained

"I wish you all of luck." replied Raven

Starfire wasn't sure if that was sarcasm or if Raven really meant it. Her hopeful nature however leaned toward the latter.

"I thank you friend." she said as she left "And I hope you resolve your relationship with Garfield." she called

"Kori!" Raven began, but it was too late, Kori was long gone

"This just isn't my day, is it?" she asked herself

* * *

"All is set from your liberty, although we still require the book itself before you may truly be free." said the old witch 

"Give me a functional body and I shall retrieve the book myself." the smooth voice replied

"As you wish."

The witch raised her hand to her Chaos Mirror and it glowed violently, releasing a huge wave off energy that bathed the cave in a yellowish glow. Meanwhile inside a certain tower, unnoticed a certain chest glowed very dimly.

* * *

"Come on B, let me cook!" Victor begged 

"No! I'm cooking and that's that!" Garfield told him

"Can I at least see what you're trying to shovel down our throats over there?" Vic asked, trying to look over Garfield's shoulder

"No way dude, now back off and wait!" he shouted

Vic grumbled under his breath and stomped off toward the kitchen table. But before sitting down he yelled...

"If it don't have any meat in it expect to eat alone!"

"I don't think so!" Garfield shouted back before returning to his cooking

"Yeah, we'll see." Vic muttered

"Just sit down." Raven asked, slightly annoyed from all the yelling

Vic did as he was instructed and sat his metal behind in a seat and awaited the 'special' meal that Garfield was creating. The little shape-shifter had been going on and on about this meal, saying that it was going to be the best meal he had ever created. Vic expected a truckload of tofu and was not so eager to consume the fake-meat. His stomach turned when he thought about how people could be so cruel as to make fake-meat. But it was Garfield's turn to cook; rules were rules. Vic would just order out later. The power of fast-food delivery, Vic idolized it. After a few more minutes Garfield emerged from the clutter of pots and pans that he had assembled for his elaborate meal and yelled...

"Done!"

"Whooptie Doo." Vic replied in a monotone that rivaled Raven's

"Yo Vic, where's Dick and Kori, it's time for dinner?" Garfield asked, walking over to the table with a large serving pan that donned a lid, concealing its contents

"Don't know." he replied "Last time I saw them they were talking about something; I think in training room." he told him

"Great...now we have to wait for them." Garfield frowned

"And that's a bad thing?" Vic retorted, a sly smile on his face

Garfield glared at him and was about to give him a piece of his mind but, the doors to the common room opened and in stepped the alleged titans, but as they walked in something seemed strange. For one both Kori and Dick were unusually quiet, very uncommon between the two. They were always caught chit-chatting or so and seeing them completely quite while in each other's vicinity was troubling for the other three titans. Another thing that was strange was the fact that both titans seemed to be flushed for some reason. Though they're expressions remained passive, a shade of red could be see on their faces. Finally, for some reason or other (wink, wink) they were holding hands. Not something particularly uncommon between the two, but they were holding each other's hands exceptionally tight. Vic, always the suspect was the first to ask what was up.

"Okay you two, what's up?" he asked

"What do you mean?" Dick asked in his leadership voice, almost _too _much like his leadership voice, almost as if he were _hiding_ something

"Well for one thing ya'll is quiet; you two are always yakking about something. Two it seemed like ya'll is embarrassed about something. And three, them hands of yours are cupped together pretty tight. I don't think even the Jaws-of-Life could pry you two apart." he explained "So like I asked before, what's up?" he asked

"Well..." he both started at the same time, interrupting each other "I mean..."once again interrupting on another "You know..." and yet again one interrupted the other and vica verse.

Soon the conversation led to the ever faithful word known as...

"Um..."

"Right...that was _so_ informative." came Raven, he face currently in a large novel

"Yeah, don't be giving us your life stories or anything." Vic followed up, mischievously eyeing the two

Robin ended up looking at the ground, a bad move on his part because it betrayed him. And Kori tried to suppress a giggle, but a snort escaped her mouth, betraying her as well. At that point Vic knew something was up, though Raven had a much better idea on why the two seemed to be so embarrassed. Raven stole a glance over her book and made eye contact with Kori. At that moment Kori gave her a wink, a trademark move that she had developed that confirmed Raven's suspicions. Luckily Vic didn't notice for he was two engrossed on making Dick sweat. Meanwhile, Garfield was busily waiting for his whole ordeal to be over. But being the impatient person he was he finally snapped.

"Will you guys come on? It's time for dinner! We can bug you about this later, okay!" he shrieked

"Calm down man." he told him "Why you so anxious anyway?" Vic asked

"Cause this is a special dinner and I want to get on with it." he explained, annoyed

"Fine, fine." Vic replied, then he turned to the others "Now everyone, prepare your barf bags." Vic whispered, though he knew full well Garfield could hear him; something he was counting on.

Garfield mumbled something too low to be thought intelligible and waited even more and Dick and Kori took their seats, never letting their hands come apart until they had to take their forks and knives. With everyone present Garfield's happy-go-luck nature kicked in and he bounced over to the table, setting the serving pan in the middle while holding the top between his fingers. As usual the four other titans have mixed feelings for the unveiling of the meal. Dick was mildly suspicious; Kori exuberant; Victor queasy; and Raven could care less.

"Okay my amigos its time for **dinner!**" he shouted, as he pulled the lid off the pan

* * *

In the confines of the dark sorceress's room a certain chest began to shake, as if something were inside of it and was trying to escape. As it shook more violently the strange yellow glow that was around it once grew in intensity. The chest banged against he wall as whatever was inside fought its way out. The chest lock was elongated as far as it could before the extreme energy that was pulsating from it caused it to snap. The trunk flew open and the chest was revealed. Inside a strange bundle of paper slowly took form and crawled from the chest. The form it chose was that of a simple human being, no defining qualities expect for the eyes. Even thought they were on paper they still had an alluring aura around them. Then the strange figure reached back inside the trunk and retrieves a dusty book that had taken residence in the chest for quite some time. Finally, looking toward the window wings of paper formed on his 'back' and with one finally glance over the room that he had spent some time in before he spoke four simple words. 

"Finally, freedom is mine."

Then he took off into the night sky to complete what he had started a while ago.

* * *

"No way...this justcan't be! There is just no way!" Victor exclaimed 

But as far as the other titans were concerned it was. Sitting right there in front of them, on that plate was a meal composed mainly of meat.

"Dig in guys." Garfield said

Victor eyed the changeling

"Is really meat? Or is it some of that tofu-junk you use disguised as meat?" Victor asked

"If you think it is meat, then it is." Garfield replied

"Are you sure?" Victor asked, not entirely sure

"Like I said." Garfield replied with a smirk

Victor raised his human eyebrow before cautiously taking a bite out of the food in front of him. And when he did he got all the proof _he_ needed.

"It's true. This is honest-to-god real meat! I don't believe it. Gar has finally converted back from the dark-side. It's unbelievable!" he cried out in joy as he continued to eat, shoveling food into his face.

"It is...strange, that you would go against you principles Garfield." Raven said as she poked her food with a fork

"Yeah, why the sudden change?" Dick asked as he brought the food to his mouth

"Yes friend, why?" Kori asked as he dangled the piece of food close to her mouth

"Let's just say I thought it was time for a change." Garfield replied

"Well I for one am glad that the little green bean decided to turn from tofu to meat. Maybe now I can actually have some good food from now on." came Victor who had just finished his plate.

"Who said it wasn't tofu?" Garfield asked

"Wha...you did, didn't you?" Victor asked as he lowered his plate

"This is not meat." Raven told the group, and Garfield's grin grew

"What are you talkin' about Rae?" Vic asked

"This is a great imitation, but there is not an ounce of meat in here." she explained

"WHAT!" Vic hollered

He looked over at Garfield who was trying his best to keep from laughing his butt off.

"Raven is right, this is not meat. I can easily distinguish the taste." came Kory as she continued to chew the food

"Really?" Robin asked "I can't tell the difference." he responded and he tried to savior the taste

"So I've been...Gar he tricked...this is tofu!" he mumbled loudly

"Yep dude." Gar replied

"And the worst thing about this is...it was actually good." Vic murmured

But Garfield heard him clear as day, and that was exactly what he was going for.

"Sweet! I'm bad, I'm bad, it's my birthday, it's my birthday!" he sang, dancing around the common room

"And yet another reason why Garfield needs psychiatric help." quipped Raven

"Ow...I'm bad, I know!" he sang

He was so into his little dance that he his hand lunged out and grabbed the nearest person it could; which happened to be Kori. In one movementKori was dancing erratically with Garfield. He twirled her around and dipped her down like he knew exactly what he was doing. His clean movements and quick tempo impressed Kori, and she couldn't help but giggle. Dick on the other hand was far from amused and the steam could be saw billowing from his ears.

"You might want to let go of her Garfield. Dick is liable to make you mysteriously disappear if you don't." Raven advised

"Oh...Dicky wants to dance too?" Garfield asked

Then in another movement he twirled Kori away, letting her land in her seat and he grabbed hold of Dick's hand and pulled him into a dance. He didn't care that his sexual preference was being questioned at the moment. Garfield was far to happy to care; although his dance was not as close as Kori's, he still threw Dick around as if he knew how to dance.

"I'm getting bored with you." he told Dick before throwing him back into his seat.

Dick didn't reply or move after that. He was far too mortified and shocked to do anything else. Kori on the other hand thought it was so cute and kept giggling. Garfield shuffled his way over to Victor but the business end of Victor's Sonic Cannon put a stop to any ideas of dancing with him. So Garfield turned his attention toward the remaining Titan; the dark empath. The second Raven saw that look in his eyes she knew what he was thinking.

"No way...do not touch me." she told him, trying to keep her voice monotonous

"Oh, is Rae-Rae scared of a little dancing?" he asked as he twirled around

"Don't call me Rae-Rae." he told him

"Oh, then _Raven_ would like to dance?" he asked

"Right" she said, then when she realized what she said she tried to correct herself quickly but it was too late.

Garfield took that 'Right' as 'yes I want to dance' and grabbed Raven's hand and took her in quick step. Yet his dance with her was slightly different than that of Dick's and Kori's. It was close, much closer, _far_ to close as he showed off Flamenco skills that the team didn't know he possessed. Kori was at the edge of her seat as she watched her to friends dance. Well actually, Garfield was dancing while Raven was trying her best to back away from him. But he held her fast, never actually forcing her, but keeping her at bay. His face constantly grew closer to hers as they dance and it was obvious that her face had grown ten shades of red. Luckily Kori was the only one to notice (if you could call that luck) for Dick was still petrified and Victor was still in disbelief that he actually consumed tofu. After what Raven thought to be an eternity Garfield finally let her go, gracefully letting her fall into her seat before he concluded his dance with a bow. Kori was the only one to clap, but it was a big series of claps and Garfield was more than grateful for that.

"Thank you, thank you, you're a beautiful audience and you're too kind!" he said, bowing

"Oh that was most enjoyable!" Kori squealed "I did not know that you could do the dancing so well Garfield. Tell me, how did you acquire such skills?" she asked

"Easy..." he started, then turned to the television "television." he replied

"Then I am glad that the TV could teach you so." she informed him. Then she turned to Raven "Raven, was it not exuberant that Garfield could dance so delightful with us all...well, except for Victor; however is still danced adeptly. Do you not think so?" she asked Raven

Raven's hood was up, concealing the red that decided to make its home on her face.

"Raven? Raven, are you okay?" Kori asked, trying to see past the shadow her hood created

"I'm fine...I just need...to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." she replied, her monotone failing her

And just like that she was out through the door. But Garfield hadn't noticed. He was still bowing to the imaginary audience that was around him.

* * *

"Ah, I see that you have arrived. Are you ready?" asked the old witch 

"I have been ready for more than one thousand years." replied the paper man as he descended into the cave

"Very well then, it is time." the witch told him, directing him toward the center of the cave

* * *

Well this is the next chapter. Hope you like it. The next chapter while be a secondary view of this one that explains what happened between Kori and Dick. Also a certain person will be introduced while everyone's favorite geomancer comes out to play. But please, read and review this chapter. Thank you. 


	5. Good, Bad, and Inbetween

This is chapter five of my story so please enjoy.

* * *

Victor just could not believe it as he walked the dark streets of Jump City. The calm night air soothed him a little but the fact that not only had he eaten tofu but Garfield had tricked him so thoroughly was unnerving. He thought a walk would make him feel better but it wasn't dong that good of a job and neither had Garfield's explanation. 

(Earlier that evening)

"So Garfield, what tofu is in the meal exactly?" Dick asked

"Well dude, it's a fermented tofu called Fu Ru. It was created by Zen Buddhist monks that didn't eat meat cause of their religion." he replied

"Really, and it tastes just like meat?" Dick asked

"Almost, and that's why I'm glad I got Vic to eat some. The look on his face was so sweet." he replied

"I have to admit Garfield that _was_ pretty clever." praised Dick

"I know, I'm just good like that." he replied

"Like what?" Kori asked

"Just like that." he told her

"But what is that?" she asked

"That." he replied

"What?" she questioned, bewildered

"Huh?" now he was confused

"Wha?"

"Yeah?"

"Huh?"

"OKAY! Let's just drop it, alright?" Dick cried out, hoping to end the pointless banter

"Sorry dude..." he replied. And that's when he noticed that one titan was missing. "Hey, where's Raven?" he asked

"I believe Raven informed me that she was in need of the lavatory." Kori replied

"Oh, guess she had to go." he thought

Garfield then thought of what he could do. Victor was still in shock from the current predicament so he wasn't getting anything out of him. Dick and Kori seemed more interested with each other to really care if he stayed or not. Besides, he decided to let the two lovebirds have their alone time. And with Raven in the bathroom there was nobody around to converse with so he decided to head to his room and go to sleep. When he made it to the doors of the common room he took one last look around before finally leaving.

"I'm a sexy, sexy heartthrob and the ladies can't get enough of me." he sang to himself as he made his way down the hall

He almost made it to his room but just as he passed a certain room he stopped dead in his tracks. Back pedaling a few steps he stared up at the name engraved on the door and a grin passed over his lips.

"Raven." he murmured

Her door was ajar only slightly, but the fact that it was even that excited Garfield. The potential to go into Raven's room was too much to pass up. Morphing into a fly he slipped into her room and buzzed around for awhile before finally morphing back into a human. At that moment he was now in the den of the lion.

"Just as creepy as ever." he murmured as he surveyed the room

Raven's room was exactly like he remembered it (being that it hadn't been that long since he had last be inside; something involving a toaster and can of beans...don't ask). It was just as dark as usual, but everything inside could be clearly defined. From the Comedy/Tragedy statue that glared at him as if it were alive to the weird magic mirror that Raven's emotions resided in the room had an ominous radiance. Though the room scared him he actually loved coming in here; the one place in the tower that was forbidden to enter, the secret zone, unattainable by mortals. It was like walking into a haunted house, knowing you'll be scared, but wanting the thrill from that fear. It was like a drug, getting high off the excitement that he might get caught, but not really caring. However he was careful not to touch anything in Raven's room. Her room had a knack of coming alive and trying to pull you somewhere. He was not about to go back in her mirror and get his ear chewed off by her like last time or end up releasing some sort of demon from the confines of one of her many books. Those were things you just didn't do. But it was fun to just wander around and look. As he whistled a light tune to himself he noticed some odd. In the corner, the chest that he had seen a few times was wide open and for some strange reason a piece of paper was laid carelessly by its side. Upon closer examination he saw that the paper was folded, in a shape of a rose.

"Didn't know Raven was into origami." he pondered, picking up the paper rose and twirling it in his hand

Peering into the chest he discovered it to be empty, but by the surrounding dust he could tell that something _had_ been in there, for quite a long time at that. The question was _what? _He didn't get the chance to figure out that question for his thoughts were interrupted by the cracking of a person's knuckles; and he knew exactly who that person was. His blood ran cold as the ice tongue of the room's inhabitant flowed into the room.

"What...are...you...doing...in...my...room?" she demanded, punctuating ever word to further emphasize her anger

He knew he was dead, and he knew that whatever he said wouldn't change anything. He was stuck, with only one way out. He decided that now would be the best time to show off a few new abilities that he had acquired. The change happened quickly, but the pain of this abnormal change was still apparent within him. He changed into a cat, though not fully. His long elf ears sunk into his head and were replaced with that of a feline's, only atop his head. His face changed slightly to resemble that of a cat, not much though (though he now sported long whiskers). His hands and feet changed to paws and a tail shot from his tail bone. Finally some semblence of fur cascaded across his body so that he now looked slightly furry. With the strange transformation complete he used his new found cat-like agility to vault clean over Raven and through the door.

"What the...?" Raven muttered, clearly bewildered

The event happened so abruptly that the sudden leap by Garfield's half-man half-cat form threw her off. Luckily she was able to come to her senses quickly enough to lash out with her powers and catch the fleeting Garfield by the tail.

"MEOW!" he screeched as pain coursed through his tailbone

He dug his claws into the floor, trying desperately to clamper away, but it was no use, Raven had a firm grip on him, dragging him backtoward the lion's den that he so foolheartedly entered. Releasing another screech from deep inside hethroat he soon stood face-to-face with Raven against his will, her powers encasing him like a straight-jacket.

"And I thought I had mileage with your name before." she said, giving him a once over

"Kinda cool, isn't it?" heasked her

"Quite." she responsed less than enthusiastic

"Right." he responded, looking at the ground morosely

"So I ask again; what were you doing in my room?" she demanded

"Nothing."

Not believing him she took a step into her room and looked around. Nothing seemed out of order and it became more evident that Garfield was telling the truth...that was until her eyes rested upon her open chest. He eyes grew wide and her mouth fell agape slightly. She turned back to him, anger etched on her face and barked...

"**WHAT DID YOU DO?**"

"Nothing, I swear." he replied truthfully

Her jaw dropped farther, allowing her to utter but a single word.

"No."

Disregarding him she flung him away so that she could quickly enter her room, hoping that her suspicions were false. The first thing she noticed was the origami rose on the carpet; a rose that she remembered quite clearly. Bypassing it however she looked into the chest and her fears were realized. The book was not there and there were could be only two reasons why this was so. Someone invaded the sanctity her dark room (other than Garfield) and stole it or..._he_ was free from it. But the latter couldn't be possible. He would need someone who knew a great number of spells, spells _he_ taught her. It couldn't be possible he was free. Someone had to have stolen the book, they _had_ to have.

"Hey Raven, are you okay?" Garfield asked, peering inside after he made his way back toward her room.

Raven didn't respond. A blank expression was on her face as she stared down at the empty chest.

"Raven?" he asked, growing ever more concerned, as he came out of hiding "What's wrong?" he asked

She looked over at him and he saw nothing in her eyes. Not like her usual monotonous stare, but as if there was no life in them at all. Almost as if she was in a trance. There was just nothing there.

"It can't be, it can't be, it can't be..." she kept repeating in her head, hoping that repeating it would convince her

"Raven, tell me what's wrong. You're kinda scaring me with that dead look." he said, taking a step in her room

"Go away." she commanded, though her voice was no higher than a whisper

"Why...what's wrong?" he asked, a little insistent

Something definitely was wrong and he wanted answers.

"Go away." she repeated

"Not until you tell me what's wrong." he demanded

"It is none of your concern. Now go!" she commanded before using her powers to fling him out of the room, _again_.

"Ra..." he called out but the door slammed shut before he could finish

With a big sigh he stoodup and brushed himself offand stared at Raven's door. Something in the back of his mind told him he should see what was up. Anytime Raven of all people was worried about something it usually meant it was something big. He walked over to her door and almost knocked, but a sudden fear gripped him and he stopped at the last second. Raven usually wanted to handle her problems alone and she would only ask for help if she truly need it. And even though he was naturally prone to worry about her, he decided it would just be best to let her handle whatever it was on her own.

"Maybe I'll ask her tomorrow." he said to himself, scratching behind his cat ears

However he just couldn't help but be worried about her.

"Just hope she's okay." he murmured before heading back to his room.

Back in the empath's room, her brained scoured over all possible scenarios of the recent happenings.

"Someone must have broken in and stolen the book." she thought

The problem with that theory was if someone had have broken in the security system would have kicked in. A further problem with that theory was: even if someone broke in, how did they know about the book and where she kept it. Only the titans knew she even possessed the book and nobody knew that she had kept it in her chest. But the other option, it couldn't be an option. She didn't _want_ it to be an option. But the one deciding factor that made it painfully obvious that it _could_ be an option, was what was left behind.

The rose.

* * *

Let's check on Dick and Kori. After Garfield had left the room an awkward silence befell them as a reoccurrence of what happened earlier settled in. 

(Earlier, before dinner)

People relax in a variety of ways. Some cook, others take up personal hobbies, many watch television, and others read. However Dick Grayson relaxes by working out, vigorously. The sounds of a human--Dick--mercilessly assaulting a punching bag, letting the feeling of contact with the padded material flow through him, calming his stricken nerves could be heard echoing into the hallways of Titans Tower. His kicks sailed effortlessly through the air and collided with the punching bag with a loud thump Rapid volleys of punches were next to pummel the bag; punches that constantly caused a change of shape in the bag itself. His elbows impaled the tough material, leaving an imprint until the next followed through. The sound of the blows connecting with the punching bag was like music to this detective's ears and was exactly what he needed. Even though his friends had told him that it wasn't his fault for the failed mission, he still felt he could have done more. But he wasn't going to dwell in the past, and the next time the Titans did battle with the Demolition Team he would lead them to victory. He swore on it. Sweat poured for his pores and he exhurted himself, taking deep breaths to replenish the air that was quickly being used up. And as he wailed on the punching bag it seemed as if he would never stop; with his fluid attacks unreserved as the hapless punching bag took the monstrous onslaught. But it soon came clear that his body was growing fatigue and needed to rest. Nevertheless he pushed his body to perform one last maneuver. Kicking off from the punching bag itself he flipped, landing on the nearby wall, then kicking off the wall he twisted his body so that he spun like a screwdriver, literally impaling the already weakened punching bag, allowing the sand inside to spill to the floor and gather in a pile as if it were in an hour glass. Sticking a leg out he caught himself and swerved around, sticking the landing. He would have patted himself on back...that was if he could think straight. Spinning that fast tends to cause a person to become disorientated.

"Rawr!" he growled and then almost toppled over when he became lightheaded

He still hadn't perfected the new technique he was trying to master. It was a move he had seen in a Jackie Chan movie when he was younger. He always thought that he move was fake, just a guy in wires, but when he had discovered that Jackie Chan did all his own stunts he couldn't believe that such a move existed. In the blooper reel Jackie Chan had referred to the move as the Screwball Kick and had discovered he was able to do it on accident. He had just been practicing a couple of moves and then he did it. In the movie Jackie said he was dizzy at first from spinning so much, but after awhile got the hang of it. Ever since Dick had been trying to replicate the move and he almost had it down except for the fact that every time he practiced it he became befuddled because of the intense spinning required to perform the move correctly. He wanted to get back up and try again, but he was far too exhausted to do so and collapsed in a heap on the floor. And all the meanwhile a certain female was watching him from the door of the training room. A smile creased her lips as the prospect of revealing certain feels for the young man entered her brain. Soon she feel under the spell of conscious reverie or more commonly known as daydreaming.

(In her daydream)

The young princess in a flowing white gown, resting on soft grass while a cool breezes blows ever so gently. Her long scarlet hair wafts in the breeze, curling around her face of lovely amber skin. Her jade eyes glisten as the warm sun reflects off them, while the sun itself casts her in a calming light that causes her to glimmer. Soon she hears the heavy clomping of horseshoes against the ground. The sound grows closer and at that moment she realizes who is coming toward her, her prince, Sir Robin (though she refers to him as Dick). Soon the sound of horseshoes ceased and the long slender legs of a black stallion could be seen no more than a few feet away from the princess. Letting her eyes wander up she gazed upon the man that sat, saddled to his black beauty. His long flowing black hair flew in the breeze, just as hers. So evenly stranded that it seemed as if it were alive, dancing in the cool air current. His face, so vibrant, beautiful, and containing a smile that could light a city for days. His muscular body portrayed through the unbuttoned shirt and denim pants that he proudly garbs. He _is_ by her definition perfect in every way...or he would be if she could see behind the mysterious mask that he dons over his eyes. But the mystifying nature of the mask only adds to his appeal.

"Kori my love." he says in a suave voice that chills the woman to the bone with pleasure

"Dick, you have arrived." she replies in a voice that would put angels to shame

"Yes, I have, and I have come to tell you but one thing." he says

"What is it my darling, tell me what it is you wish to speak with me about?" she asks

He hops from his horse, landing gracefully in the grass, his form flawless as he rises from his crouched position and once again lets his radiance befall her. He takes steps toward her and her heart races, beating like a thousand drums. He comes closer and dips down so that he is eye-level with his beloved, taking in her beauty as he gazes into her jade eyes.

"Why are you drooling?" he asks

(At that moment Kori snaps back to reality)

"**Whaba wha**?" she blurts and topples over out of pure shock

"Uh...Kori, you okay?" Dick asks, staring down at her in concern

Kori pops up quickly to try to save herself from further embarrassement and blurts out.

"I am fine dear Dick, why do you ask?"

"Well, you were staring at me, drooling and when I called you name you didn't respond. When you finally did you just fell out and I was wondering if you were okay." he replies

"Oh, I was just simply...I mean I was...I...well..." she tried to explain, but obviously couldn't.

She felt like such a Chalaothal. (Yes, a word I just made up for Kori's native language)

"Well...okay then." he responds before heading out

"WAIT!" she yells before he has a chance to leave the door

"Huh?"

"I...I...I wish to speak with you." she replies

"Really, all right, shoot."

"But I do not wish to use a fire-arm." she replied, raising an eyebrow

"I mean go ahead and tell me what you want to tell me." he explains with a slight grin

He loved that naïveté of hers.

"Oh...well I wish to tell you...it is I wish to...this shall be harder than I had first envisioned."

"What'll be hard?" he asks

"Well...what is it that you think of me?" she asked bashfully

He'd been through this question before and he knew exactly how to answer.

"Well I think you're real cool, and really strong, and really, really nice." he replied

"No, no Dick, you misunderstand. I mean, what you _really_ think of me?" she asked, emphasizing 'really'

But he hadn't been through this question.

"W-w-w-w-well...K-k-k-k-k-ori, w-w-w-well I t-t-t-t-t-hink..." he stammered

No wonder these two belong together, they couldn't string along complete sentences if their lives depended on it. Bewildered, the poor young alien woman cocked her head, wondering if her beau was terminally ill.

"Is there something wrong with your vocal cords Dick?" she asked

"No, their fine!" he squeaked

"Are you sure, your voice seems unusually strange." she commented

He nodded his head as his face turned bright red colors. When he realized that he had been nodding his head for a good thirty minutes he decided it would be a good idea to just stop and look at the ground in hopes of not acting like a complete and utter fool.

"I still await your response." she reminded him, looking toward the ground as well

I wonder what is so fascinating about the ground?

"I-I-I-I need to go!" he said hurriedly, trying to bypass the tameranian

She watched as time seemed to slow as he passed by her and seeing the expression on his face a certain scenario popped in her head.

_"But if you really want to know I believe he's crazy for you. He just won't let go of his pride to act on his feelings." __Raven replied_

"No! You shall stay!" she cried out, angrily

Dick stopped dead in his tracks when he heard that. He knew from experience that it was _not_ a good idea to get Kori mad. She had tendency to hold a grudge for a long time.

"You shall stay and you shall be open and you shall be honest!" she practically boomed

Kori was now officially fed up with Dick's coyness and stubborness. Even she knew that he had to have had feelings for her. But it was either, 'The team shall fall apart.' or the 'I'm not really good at expressing my feelings' bull. She was going to make Dick sit down and make him open up even if it was the last thing she or he ever did. And by the look in Kori's eyes it would be the last thing that _Dick_ ever did. And at that moment that Dick knew he would be going through some hell.

"You shall be expressive Dick! By Gonthrok the Wise, you shall be expressive!"

"Really Kori, I really do like you but...well I..." he faltered

"Well what? I wish to know what the 'what' is!" she yelled

"Well..." he mumbled

"Tell me!" she shouted, her voice penetrating him like a knife, and cutting through the remaining barriers he had set up over his emotions

"I really like you, a lot Kori!" he shouted back

"Then why do you not express your abundant admiration toward me! Why is it you must hide!" she boomed

"I'm not hiding from anything!" he yelled back

"Do not fib Dick. You are hiding from your emotions. Why will you not let anyone come close? What is it that is hindering you? Please, tell me, for I do not wish to go on like this. I know you enjoy my presence, and we are the best of friends, but something is separating us from becoming more and until I may be able to go on I must know what!" she cried

"It's not that easy Kori." he replied softly

"What, what is not simple?" she asked, calmly down

"Kori I..." he began, but he stifled

That was it, not even Dick could handle that pressing that Kori was giving him. She was digging where she shouldn't have been digging and the fact that Dick adored her only made the next sentence even more heart-wrenching that it was first intended.

"The last time I let people close I lost them!" he yelled at her, putting up his leader face to once again hide his emotions

Kori took a step back as if someone had slapped her. Her mouth hung open slightly and her eyes widened at the sudden outburst. Kori may not have been familiar with all types of Earth sayings, but she knew the difference between losing someone and _losing_ someone. And as she deliberated she saw just how pushy she had been to Dick. Lowering her head in shame she turned toward the down, her shoulders falling pathetically.

"I am sorry Dick. I had no mean to make you feel unpleasant. I shall leave now." she told him miserably

She head toward the door, her vision of telling Dick her feelings shattered, maybe for all time, but a hand on her shoulder interrupted her from her self-degrading.

"Kori, wait. I'm sorry for yelling at you. It's just..." he was looking for the right word "..._difficult_ to talk about. It happened a while ago, but I remember it like it happened yesterday."

"No Dick, you have no reason to forgive me. It was I that pushed you to express yourself. If the remembrance causes you this much pain then I shall not push any farther. You may tell me your feelings when you are ready." she replied

"Kori, there _is_ something I would like to tell you." he responded

"There is?"

"Well...actually, I think it would be better if I show you." he told her with a sheepish grin

"Dick, what is it that you mean?" she asked, raising a skeptical eybrow

Dick's arm snaked its way around Kori's waist and pulled her close. Before she could respond Dick's uneasy lips connected with hers. The movement was quick and unexpected and at first the kiss was rather awkward, being that Dick was inexperienced in this show off affection. Kori's eyes nearly flew out of their sockets and her skin tone deepened with the rush of blood that flowed into her face. But as the kiss prolonged certain instincts kicked in and Dick's lips became less bashful and more playful as they probed her mouth. With the initial shock over, Kori slowly moved into the kiss, deepening theit by pressing her lips against Dick's in a more compelling fashion. Dick's mind could not comprehend just how soft Kori's lips were against his own and how they seemed to meld together with his own. It was as if he were kissing a marshmallow, though the sensation felt far superior than any sensation of a mere marshmallow. As if by instinct Kori's arms wrapped around Dick's neck, bring her even closer to him (if that is even possible. You'd need a crowbar to separate them at this point.). Kori felt such happiness that it threatened to trigger her powers and it took everything she had to keep the two lovebirds from drifting away. Finally though, the kiss had run its course and the need for air was vital. Slowly they pulled apart, staring lovingly at each other. No words were needed for the two to be able to tell what the other thought. But Dick, always the bashful one couldn't help but try to say...

"Kori, I...lov..." but he was interrupted when she put her index finger over his lips, silencing them

"There is no need to state your feelings Dick, I already realize. When the time comes that you are ready, you may tell me. I am just glad that I now realize." she told him

"Thank you Kori. I just don't want to lose you Kori." he replied

"As do I." she responded "I do not know of your lost, but I can assure you that I will be with you always. You have no need to worry." she told him

"Kori..." he began, but couldn't put his feelings into words

"Come, Garfield has done the cooking and is eager for all of us to partake in his meal." Kori suggested

With a smile gracing his face he replied, a new sense of vigor in his heart.

"Yeah, let's go." he said, as he took her hand and the two lovers made their way out of the training room

* * *

Well this is chapter five my readers. And yes, Zen Buddists did come up with Fu Ru cooking. It's called fucha cooking in English. I found this out by reading a manga known as "Iron Wok Jan". Also Jackie Chan did come up with that Screwball Kick in one of his movies. I personally think that Jackie Chan is a great martial artist (along with Bruce Lee and Jet Li). Please read and review. Thanks for reading. 


	6. Nice Nights, Bad Mornings

This is chapter 6 my readers. This starts off where we left off withVictor if you are keeping track. But please, just enjoy reading the story and please give me feedback, I'd appreciate it.

* * *

Victor was depressed, to say the least. He was thoroughly fooled into eating what he despised the most about food, tofu, and by none other than Garfield himself. He could not understand how a little green person with the attention span of a goldfish could have devised such a well thought out plan. 

"Could it be that Gar's getting smarter?" Vic pondered

For Victor, that was a scary thought.

"Maybe I can find an all night eatery or something." he mumbled, as his large form traversed the dark alley ways.

As his half machine, half human mind continued to ponder Garfield's increasing intellect his cybernetic hearing picked up the voice of a human being. The human seemed to be cursing up a storm under his breath, and from the sounds of it, was trying to jimmy something open.

"If this is a break in I'm so gonna break whoever it is." Vic grumbled

Victor was not in the mood, if you couldn't guess. Slowly making his way toward the sound he peered into another alley way, and sure enough he found a guy, in all black, with a ski mask over his face, trying to open a locked door with a crowbar. Vic sighed.

"Why tonight?" he asked no one in particular

Charging his Sonic Cannon he aimed the sound-based weapon at the intruder, its low hum alerted the intruder to another presence in the alleyway.

"Okay, just put down the crowbar and turn yourself in. We both don't want to get me any more irritated than I already am." Vic ordered

Without thinking the burglar launched the crowbar at Victor, hoping by some twist of fate that the metal object would fell the large metallic Titan. Vic sighed again. Lowering the power-rating on his sonic cannon to a bare minimum he fired, obliterating the crowbar in a single wave of light-blue energy.

"Really man, just give up, or the next shot _will_ hit ya." he warned

The burglar tried to make a run for it, but the sound of the door, that he was trying to break into; opening caused him to stop in his tracks. The door flung open and the burglar was greeted with a door in his face. The impact completely took the burglar off guard and knocked him into a pile of trash nearby. With the trash taken out (ah ha, a funny little joke) Victor lowered his Sonic Cannon, letting his morph back into a robotic appendage.

"Uh...thanks." he replied as the burglar's attacker stepped from the shadows

"No problem, I suppose." replied a feminine voice which was just as confused as the metal Titan

As soon as the female stepped into the dim light that the large bright moon had portrayed Victor's jaw dropped and he couldn't help but murmur one word.

"Sarasim?"

He swore to any higher deity that he saw the woman he had fallen for in his trip to the past standing there, right in front of him. But logic entered and told him that this was a impossibility. There was no way that Sarasim could have lived for over five thousand years. It was not humanly possible. But his human side showed him the glaringly obvious. Sarasim was standing right there, in plain view. Sure she was wearing a purple T-shirt, grey pants, and white sneakers but that face, even with the large bi-focal glass over it, was undeniable.

"Wow, you Titans really are very resourceful." she said

"Wha?" he asked, snapping out of his daze

"I mean, I have never met you before, yet you have figured out my name." she replied

"Huh?" this sudden realization had yet to dawn on him

"Sarah Simms is my name. Please do not tell me you have already forgotten." she replied

After registering this new bit of information Victor finally realized his foolish mistake. She may have looked like Sarasim, but this woman was not the woman he still had affection for, even across the timelines.

"Was that a burglar?" asked the woman

"Yeah, looks like he was trying to break in but I think you handled that situation nicely." Vic replied

"Oh...I had heard a noise coming from the door and was wondering what was going on out here. I did not believe that I would have knocked out a burglar. And I do not know what I would have done if he had broken in. I am glad you were here to stop him." she stated

"Part of the job." he replied "But by the way you knocked him out I wouldn't want to meet _you_ in a dark alley." he chuckled

"Yeah." she replied with a sheepish chuckle of her own "I have always had that problem with opening doors far to quickly. I mother used to always scold me about that when dad took a hit now and again."

"Well I'm glad you haven't broken that habit yet." he told her

She grinned slightly.

"Well I guess I'll be taking this guy to the station." Victor informed

"Well then, I guess I shall be seeing you soon." she replied

"Wait? What?" but it was too late for the door had already closed

"What was that suppose to mean?" Vic wondered, as he went to the task of taking the burglar to prison

* * *

In the dark confines of her room Raven meditated on the matters at hand. It was illogical that someone had broken into her room, let along the tower. The alarm would have gone off it someone had and it didn't seem like anyone broke in from the outside. Someone or _something_ for that matter had come from within her room and left with the book. The dark empath kept going over hundreds and hundreds of different causes in her head, but they all lead to one conclusion, a conclusion that Raven did not want to accept but knew she had to. Somehow or other Malchior had obtained freedom or some manner of it. How, she was unsure, but it was the only logical explanation. But she knew one thing, even if he was free he was still bound to the book, seeing as her room was not in shambles, and because of this he would need someone with powerful magical powers in order to fully break the curse set upon him. She just hoped that she could locate him before he did.

* * *

The night enveloping the city a certain shape-shifter was asleep in his room that was in dire need of a haz-mat team. Strangely enough, he was dreaming peacefully in the mounds of assorted objects that littered his room. For some reason the floor had seemed like a nice place to rest. And even more strange was the dream that he was partaking in. He was running through an open field, yet it was not him who was doing the running, but another part of him. This being that he was, was different than any other transformation he had ever become. It was fury, yet it was righteous, almost as if he had just remember a piece of him that he had forgotten some time ago. What he enjoyed the most about the dream though was the fact that he truly enjoyed this transformation.

* * *

Morning came to the Tower and its inhabitants awoke to its rays. In the common room a certain alien and a certain vigilante were busy making breakfast, together, _alone_. That was until a certain cyborg and a certain shape-shifter walked in, loud and hungry. 

"Hello Robin and Star! How are you guys this morning!" Garfield said in high spirits

"Why are you in such high spirits today Garfield?" Dick asked, while helping Kori make some pancake batter

"Had the best sleep ever." he replied

"Good for you. Now you won't complain when we have a little combat practice today." Dick told him

"Great." Gar replied, less than enthusiastic

"Where's Raven?" Vic asked, seeing that a certain empath had yet to join her friends for breakfast

"I have last seen her on the roof, meditating." Kori replied, giving Dick a few strawberries to put in the pancake mix

"We should see if she's alright." Gar suggested

"Why man, you know she hates it when someone bugs her during her meditation?" Vic wondered

"She might miss breakfast." Gar replied matter-of-factly

"Fine man, but you go first. I'll follow."

It only took a hop, skip, and a jump to get to the roof and as Kori had stated Raven was there, meditating. Garfield stood there, wondering how exactly he was going to go about asking Raven what happened last night. He knew that Raven didn't divulge information willingly, and by the way she acted last night it seemed like whatever the problem was it weighed heavily on her.

"Just go man." Vic told him, shoving the green man out of his way, toward Raven.

Garfield had completely lost his balance and stumbled toward the meditating empath. He knew if he collided with her, inadvertently disturbing her there would be hell to pay, and boy, would he ever be paying it. He tried to catch himself, using every once of muscle in his rather toned body to stop himself from colliding with her. He stopped but mere millimeters from the back of Raven's cloak, the very end of it tickling his sensitive nose.

"Ah-ah-ah-ah..." he tried to hold back the sneeze that threatened to rear up, but it was no use.

"AH-CHU!" he exploded, morphing into an elephant involuntarily, which in turnamplied the sneeze

Victor was already down the stairs, knowing that Garfield's death was coming all too soon. Garfield tried to make a break for it, like his supposed friend, but before he made it too the door...

"Gezuntiet." came a calm voice

"Thanks." he replied fearfully

But he thought that maybe he could still get away.

"What do you want?" she asked

So much for that idea. Sucking it up and mustering all the courage he had he told her "Was wondering if you want to join us for breakfast?" he asked

"Fine." she replied

"And I won't take no for a...wait a minute. Did you just same fine?" he asked

"Did I stutter? I said 'fine'. I will join you for breakfast." she replied

"Oh..." but there was something still nagging at him

"What else do you want?" she asked impatiently, feeling his uncertainty

"Well..." he began

"Spit it out." she barked beginning to lose her cool

"I was just wondering if you were okay. You kinda freaked me out last night. So are you?" he asked

"I told you before, it is none of your concern." she told him

"Are you sure? Cause usually when you're like this something _really_ bad happens." he told her

"Must I spell it out for you?" she sighed, trying to keep from losing her temper. "It...is...none...of...your...concern." she in a low yet penetrating voice

"Oh, okay. Just glad you're alright."

"Good, now lets go." she advised and headed toward the door

"Come on ya'll, I can smell breakfast cooking!" Vic yelled from downstairs

"Coming Vic!" Garfield yelled back and turned to descend the stairs.

But before he did, his sensitive ears picked up something. It was flapping, of wings, very large wings.

"Do you hear that?" he asked Raven

"No." she replied

"Swear I hear..."

But he was cut off by a shrilled roared that echo throughout the entire city. Both titans turned to a most terrifying sight. In all his malevolent glory hovered the dread dragon himself.

"Malchior!" Raven cried

Before either could do anything to oppose him, the black dragon lunged at Raven, gripping her in its large claws, squeezing her tightly.

"Raven!" Garfield yelled and tried to save her, but the beating of Malchior's mighty wings caused a gust of air that pushed him back toward the door, just at Vic scrambled up after hearing the deafening roar. The two titans collided and tumbled down the stairs in a heap of legs and arms.

"You are fortunate that I require you to be living dear, sweet Raven. Or I would most enjoy crushing your frail human bones. I suppose I will just have to settle for squeezing the air out of your lungs.

"Azerath Metrion...Zin..tho..." she tried to summon her powers, but the lack of air made her light-head, inhibiting her ability to concentrate.

Back downstairs Garfield quickly untangled himself and scrambled up the stairs to try and save his friend, but when he arrived he found he found Raven unconscious in the claws of Malchior. Then, with one mighty flap, Malchior took to the skies and began to making distance rapidlyfrom the tower.

"RAVEN!" Garfield yelled as he tried to stand against the large gust of wind beating against him

"BB!" yelled Cyborg as he made it up the stairs "Let's move!" he shouted

Morphing into a pterodactyl, Cyborg leapt onto the back of BeastBoy and the too took to the skies to chase after their friend

* * *

And that ladies and gentlemen is what we call a cliff-hanger. And so that nobody gets confused, any time the titans go into battle, or are about to go into battle I will refer to them in their superhero names. Thank you. Please enjoy and review, knowing that the next chapter is coming soon. 


	7. Speedy Little Bugger

Well, this is what you were waiting for. Sorry for the wait but I've been enjoying my Thanksgiving vacation. This chapter is packed full of action so I hope you enjoy.

* * *

"Cyborg! Cyborg, report! What's going on!" came the voice of Robin over the communication waves 

The speed at which Cyborg switched on his arm communicator was so rapid that he was concerned the VID screen might snap off. In his hurry to communicate Cyborg, yelled back at the masked leader.

"We. Got. A. _Problem!_ Rae's been Rae-knapped by that dragon in that crazy book of hers!"

"WHAT! I thought Raven took care of that!" he shouted

"Yeah, well me too! Guess he opted for a second opinion!" Cyborg shouted back

"Where are you now?" Asked Robin

"Where ya think! Me and B are tailing the thing but we can't keep up with it! It's too damn fast!" Cyborg replied

"Keep on it, Starfire and I will catch up as soon as we can!" Robin informed before the communicator went blank

"Better said than done." Cyborg muttered

Any way you put it Malchior was just far too fast for BeastBoy, especially with Cyborg on his back. But it seemed with every wing beat BeastBoy's wings grew in diameter and his speed increased.

"B is really gunning it." Cyborg thought "But if I were in his shoes I'd do the same thing. Just wish we wasn't lagging."

Slowly Malchior pulled away, disappearing in the distance. Only a speck was visible by Cyborg,but with the eyes of the pterodactyl BeastBoy was still able to track the dread dragon. From what BeastBoy could see Malchior was heading into the mountains, quickly passing over the bay. BeastBoy struggled to move faster but even with his abnormal wing span (for a pterodactyl) he **paled** in comparison with Malchior's blinding speed! Soon enough their flying speed evened out due to the factthat BeastBoy couldn't force his wings to grow any further but, BeastBoy refused to let his body tire from the strain he was putting on it. He focused on keeping Malchior in his line of sight, ignoring all burning and aching, determined not to lose him. Meanwhile, Malchior was flying carefree through the air, being that he was only using half of his true speed, reaffirming the fact that BeastBoy didn't have a chance to catching him, only keeping up and barely at that!

"I shall exact my vengeance on you my sweet Raven. You shall learn not to cross the Dread Dragon Malchior." he said to her unconscious form

His dragon senses picked up the wing beat of an animal that seemed to be flying at an impressive speed behind him. Looking back he focused on a single point and saw a green bird-like creature and a metallic man trying fruitlessly to keep up.

"It would seem that your friends wish to rescue you Raven. It is a valiant effort to say the least, but they cannot possibly hope to match my speed." he mused. Then he pondered a thought and a small smile appeared on his devilish face "I may as well give them some semblance of hope as well as giving myself some decent sport." he chortled

Slowing down gradually he allowed the two Titans to catch up.

"Booya! We're gaining on him!" Cyborg said with optimism

BeastBoy on the other hand knew that he hadn't caught up with Malchior. Hehe hated to admit it but he _couldn't_ have had caught up with Malchior. If he could only tell Cyborg that this was a trap! But it was too late. Flames licked at Malchior's mouth, building in intensity before the black dragon fired a ball of fire at the approaching Titans! Veering to the left BeastBoy managed to dodge the oncoming fireball, narrowly avoiding becoming fried pterodactyl wings!(Move over Kentucky Fried Chicken) But the next fireball to come, shot through the sky too quickly for the Titan to evade. Luckily Cyborg did the reacting partfor him. Firing his Sonic Cannon Cyborg blew through the threatening ball of flames, allowing BeastBoy and himself to pass through unharmed.

"You're gonna have to do better than that dragon-boy!" Cyborg jeered

And he did. Firing a volley of fireballs, Machior assaulted the two Titans and Cyborg basically felt the sour bitterness of eating his words. BeastBoy gave him a look, wishing Cyborg hadn't opened his big mouth as the barrage of fire closed in on them. But with a mixture of evasive maneuvers and well-timed sonic blasts Cyborg and BeastBoy were able to avoid an untimely demise.

"Your friends seem persistent. I commend them on they're efforts. But it is all in vain. They cannot save you from your fate." he hissed

Firing a stream of intense heat Malchior aimed to roast the two Titans alive. Moving with agility unknown to even himself, BeastBoy evaded the onslaught of flames that sought to envelope the horribly outmatched Titans. Growing agitated Malchior increased the intensity of the flames he spit but the only outcome of that was that a few flames nicked BeastBoy's hide. But the changeling refused to give up.

"I grow bored of this useless skirmish. It is time for me to end this pathetic display." Malchior mumbled, irate

Letting the fire in his throat grow immensely Malchior summoned a ball of fire of immeasurable strength. Its potential for destruction far overshadowed any means of survival and when he fired it the two Titans looked, gaping at the overwhelming ball of heat closed in on them; their executioner. Their was no way that they could avoid it and Cyborg's Sonic Cannon had no effect on the ball as he tried to destroy it; insignificant against its unstoppable might. Trying to defend the best he could, BeastBoy brought both wings in front of his body and braced for impact, hoping that the tough hide of the pterodactyl would prove to be a decent barrier against the heat. When the ball of fiery destruction made contact with BeastBoy's skin the force of the collision blew Cyborg off of BeastBoy's back with such drive that Cyborg shot through the air as if he were in a giant sling shot! Meanwhile BeastBoy felt himself become engulfed in the flames, the intense heat slowly creeping along his body. Thinking that he would be burnt to a crisp BeastBoy closed his eyes and prepared for the end...but the end never came.

"Raah!" came a battle-cry and a green bolt of energy shot through the air, crashing through the enormous fireball and causing it to explode, filling the sky with a bright orange-red glow.

"Well it seems that their end has come." Malchior leered before facing forward and continuing his flight to his destination.

* * *

"Dude, what happened? Raven..." BeastBoy thought 

The last thing he remembered was a huge explosion and everything going dark. Now he was on the flying through the air, but he wasn't in the form of any animal with the power of flight. He was either dead and was a ghost or someone who could fly had him. Opening his eyes he found that he was being held by the orange Tameranian known as Starfire.

"Star, how'd you...?" he began, but the amber-tone female interjected

"I rescued you from a most excruciating death friend." she replied

"What about Cy? Is he..." but the Tameranian interjected once again

"He is okay friend. As he says 'It takes a lot to take down old Cy.'" she replied

Sighing for relief at the confirmed safety of his best pal BeastBoy returned to more pressing matters.

"We got to save Raven! Malchior took her into the mountains I think. We need to hurry and stop him!" BeastBoy exclaimed

"Do not worry friend, we shall rescue our friend and teach the Malchior that he should not do such things like this to our friend." Starfire assured him

"Good, and thanks for the help Starfire, but I can take it from her." he told her

"Wait friend I do not..." she tried to warn, but BeastBoy had already jumped from her arms

When he morphed back into a pterodactyl a searing pain ran through his wings, causing him to lose altitude at an increasing velocity. Fortunately Starfire grabbed him before he came crashing down to the earth below. After Starfire landed BeastBoy morphed back to his human form and hugged his arms to try and soothe the burning that was radiating from his arms. At this moment he actually took the time to look at them and noticed that they were blackened somewhat.

"I am sorry friend, I tried to inform you. It seems that when you defended yourself against the dragon's attack, your arms took the most harm. I do not believe you will be able to fly with your upper limbs in the condition they are in at the moment." she told him

"I have to try!" he yelled and morphed back into a pterodactyl and tried to obtain flight.

But between the vast beating that he gave to his own wings to sustain the incredible speed he was moving at and the burns that raked his forearms he could barely maintain leverage.

"He is like Raven has told me, very stubborn." Starfire thought

Flying over to the struggling animal Starfire aided her friend in flight by flying underneath him and giving him the necessary lift he need to maintain flight. When she could ascertain that he could fly without assistance she flew from under him and joined him at his side. Then flipping open her communicator, she contacted Robin.

"Robin, it is I, Starfire. I have located BeastBoy and we are resuming our rescue of Raven."

"Good Star, just be careful." he told her

"I shall, but I worry about BeastBoy. He has suffered great damage to his person but is continuing to push himself to his limits. I do not believe that he realizes just how much harm has been inflicted on him." she responded

"Cyborg told me that they took a big hit. Keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't go and kill and himself, okay?" he asked

"Yes Robin, I shall watch over our friend. Though I do not know how I shall be able to 'keep an eyeball on him' without causing injury to myself." she replied, slightly bewildered, before turning off the communicator

* * *

Malchior easily located the cave in which the witch resided. He could feel the forces of chaos seeping from the cave itself. Kicking up dirt as he landed at the mouth of the cave Malchior folded back his large wings in order to slip inside effortlessly. Though there was the problem of traversing the cave effortlessly. Not because he was too big, but the fact that he had Raven in his claw, forcing him to walk on only three limbs. He stumbled slightly as he made his way deeper in the cave and swore that if he didn't have to keep uphis end of the bargain then he would have already disposed of the dark girl. 

"The many things I do to obtain my freedom." he sneered as he made his way awkwardly down the cave.

Eventually he arrived at the end of the cave where the witch seemed to be in the middle of drawing a large diagram on the ground. Her back was turned to him but she knew he was there at the moment he set foot in the cave.

"I would seem that you have honored our arrangement dragon." the witch said, never facing him directly

"I may be deceitful but I do honor any agreement." he replied, rather snidely

"I do not offend dragon, I simply stated that I did not believe that with your new bound freedom that you would keep your word." she explained

"I have. That much you can be assured. Now take her." he demanded

"I shall. Lay her within the figure." the witch instructed

Doing as he was told Malchior laid Raven within the diagram and with a flick of her decrepit hand the witch cast a spell upon Raven that bond her in place.

"May I leave now? Is our arrangement complete?" he asked, though he felt as if each word of the sentence was like venom stinging at his tongue, having to ask a human if he could leave. But knowing the rules of chaos magic he knew he needed to fulfill his promise before he would be truly free.

"You are no longer bound, you may leave at your own will dragon." the witch replied while she put the finishing touches on the diagram. "You may however wish to keep the ones who have followed you from traversing deeper within the cave." she told him, her voice never wavering

"Damn those humans! They refuse to submit! I was certain that I dealt with them earlier! This time I shall be sure of it!" he growled, making his way back to the foot of the cave

With the echo of his footsteps subsiding the witch finished the last angle of the diagram and the entire diagram glowed with an eerie yellowish glow. At that moment the unconscious body of Raven sensed the immense magic being brought forth and awakened from her slumber, quickly trying to ascertain her surrounds.

"Where am I and who are you?" Raven demanded

"Seems as if you are awake." the witch replied, he full attention on focusing the power needed

Raven tried to move, but her body was bonded by an invisible force, making movement impossible.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthoss!" she chanted, hoping that her powers would break her free, but nothing happened

"Do not waste your breath. Your powers are being kept dormant until the ritual is complete." the witch told her

"What ritual?" Raven inquired

"The ritual in which I gain control of your body young one." the witch replied as the diagram grew in power

* * *

"This unpleasant place gives me the bumps of geese." Starfire declared 

"You and me both Star, but we got to find Raven." BeastBoy replied

"Yes, but where is our friend located in this cave?" Starfire wondered

"Don't know, but she's in here somewhere. I got her scent, I'm sure of it." he replied

"I just trust that we locate her soon before something bad happens." Starfire exclaimed

"Too late." came a voice

Flames roared through the cave at the two Titans, but BeastBoy, he reacted a hair quicker than the inferno and pushed Starfire aside before either could be engulfed by the raging blaze. However, he landed on his arms which caused pain to ricochet through them, triggering his senses, causing him to grit his teeth tightly until the pain subsided. In a moment a Starbolt jetted from the ruby haired individual and connected squarely with the dragon's head, yet it had little affect on the robust dragon. But the attack wasn't meant to hurt the dragon. When the smoke cleared only one of the Titans remained visible to the dragon.

"Where is the green one?" Malchior questioned before his eyes went wide after suddenly realizing the truth

Turning sharply he caught a glimpse of a green squirrel making a mad dash deeper inside the cave.

"Oh no you do not!" Malchior roared, preparing to scorch the small, oddly colored rodent.

But before he could he felt a tug on his tail. Turning back he discovered that the alien girl was trying her best to keep him from moving against BeastBoy, holding his tail with all her might. With a flick of his tail however he flung the ting alien off his tail and turned back to deal with the pesky squirrel but it was already gone. A barrage of Starbolts collided with the dragon. But other than irritating him further, they did not have much affect on him.

"You shall pay dearly girl!" he roared, but was interrupted by the call of another Titan

"That's what you think dragon-boy!" yelled a cybernetic man who fired a Sonic Blast, a blast which was followed up by a volley of Electro-Disks

"Titans Go!" barked the leader as he and Cyborg entered the fray

Meanwhile, deeper within the cave the green squirrel known as BeastBoy was nearing Raven, her scent affirmed it. Hopping from rock to rock he quickly made his way through the cave, though his arms were burning with intensity. Ignoring the pain he continued on his way until the cave opened up to a more spacious area. From what he could see he found Raven on the ground and some old person standing above her while the ground glowed.

"Raven!" he thought

Without any regard for his own safety he leapt toward the diagram, only to collided with what seemed to be an invisible wall.

"Ow."

Morphing back he rubbed his pounding head slightly before staring at the phenomenon that was going on right in front of him.

"Do not try to interfere with this child. There are forces at work that you cannot hope to comprehend." the witch told him

"I don't care! I just want my friend back!" he yelled

"That, I cannot do." the witch replied as the power grew and grew

Morphing into a T-Rex he tried to barrel onward, colliding with the massive quantity of magical energy, but all he managed was a slight distortion before he was thrown back against the wall of the cave, causing a crack to travel up to the ceiling. Shaking his head of his current vertigo he dug his large heels into the ground and took off again, dog-determined to burst through the barrier. Once again he distorted the field, but in a stroke luck the distortion lasted longer after his second attempt. Repeated the performance three more times he notice that a significant distortion of the field had been created, opening a small gap on the barrier, indicating that it was weakening. One more charge should do it he thought! Setting himself up to charged again with renewed vigor that he would bust through BeastBoy uttered a thunderous roar that shook the cave itself.

"**_ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!_** "

But before the T-Rex made contact he felt something grab his tail, impeding its progress. Knowing only one thing around that was strong enough to stop him he turned and bit down on the arm that had him. But his teeth were not sharp enough to pierce the hide of the dragon that had him in its claws.

"You truly believe that you can defeat me. How noble, though foolish. You're friends have already fallen to my might and you shall be next." the dragon replied, prying open the jaws of the green T-Rex as easy as opening a can of soda. "Prepare for the end." Malchior told him

Preparing to snap the neck of the creature he now held in his claws Malchior grinned devilishly. Flailing about wildly BeastBoy tried to do what he could to prevent his neck from being dislocated. His tail smashed against the cave wall repeatedly, cracking it further as the hold on his neck tightened. But before Malchior could end the creature's life the ceiling of the cave, caved in around him.

"What have you done?" Malchior roared, but said roar was quickly extinguished by falling boulders.

All that could be seen of the dragon was the wild thrashing of the dread dragon as boulders buried it in a stone like tomb. Luckily the entire cave didn't cave in, save for the spot of BeastBoy and Malchior. Once again darkness took over and BeastBoy lost consciousness.

* * *

" Garfield?" asked a voice, trying to bring him back from the darkness that surrounded him 

"What?" he asked, barely able to register sound at the moment

"Wake up Garfield." the voice replied, the sound soothing to his ears

"Raven?" he asked the voice, his motor functions beginning to return to him, slowly

"Yes, it is I, Raven." replied the voice, with a hint of satisfaction

* * *

"Man, didn't know dragons could hit so hard." Cyborg replied, recovering from their recent defeat at the hands of Malchior 

"Yes, my head is doing the pounding." Starfire commented, rubbing the back of her head

"Come on team, shake it off, we have to find BeastBoy and Raven." Robin instructed while he rubbed his arm to alleviate the ache

The battered team proceeded down the corridor, slowly making their way deeper into the twisting cavern. Then suddenly the cave began to rumble and small pieces of rock fell from the ceiling.

"Looks like the cavern is caving it! Watch out for falling rocks!" yelled Robin over the noise of the falling rocks

"Thanks for the weather report captain obvious!" Cyborg yelled back

Starfire simply yelled.

"We have to get out of here!" Robin yelled as the Titans made their way back to the entrance.

"No duh Sherlock!" Cyborg yelled

Then suddenly the cave ceased its collapsing and everything grew quiet.

"Well that was sorta anticlimactic." Cyborg mused

"Let's go." Robin directed with a snort

* * *

"Raven, you're alright!" he replied jubilantly 

Lunging at her without thinking he embraced her in a hug, overjoyed that she was okay. The hug itself went smoothly expect for one small detail. A few moments after he hugged her, she hugged back! Raven did not hug back! He almost threw her away after that but he was able to keep enough of his sense to just lightly push her aside.

"Uh...Raven, you okay?" he asked as the moment turned awkward

"Why yes BeastBoy, I am fine." she replied, rather oddly

"You sure, that freaky witch didn't do anything crazy to you, did she?" he asked again

Raven hesitated for a moment before responding.

"No...she did not. Why do you ask?" Raven asked

"Uh...no reason." he replied, pushing her away gently "Let's find the others." he suggested

"The others?" she questioned

"Yeah, you know, Cyborg, Robin, and Starfire." he replied "Are you sure your okay?" he asked

"Ah, yes, the others...you do not need to be concerned with my well being. It is simply a brief loss of memory. The cave-in would be the likely perpetrator of this." she replied

"Okay then. Hope your head is okay." he translated

Turning he found that his path was slightly blocked by the cave-in.

"Wonder what happened to Malchior?" BeastBoy pondered

Kicking a nearby rock he loosened it from its position, revealing on of the dragon's dark claws.

"AHH!" he yelled, freaking out over a claw

"Calm yourself Garfield, it does not seem as if the dragon survived the cave-in." Raven replied, staring intensively at the claw.

Tentatively walking over to the claw BeastBoy kicked it to see if what Raven said was true. When no movement arose BeastBoy sighed deeply that the dragon had met its end. But after that display of cowardice he quickly tried to cover it up with a show of bravado.

"I knew that. All according to plan." he said triumphantly as if the cave-in was all part of some miraculous plan he had devise

"I am sure." Raven replied monotonously

BeastBoy wasn't sure if that was Raven being sarcastic or not but he shrugged it off, happy that she was safe.

"Well at least we can get out of here." BeastBoy commented, noticing that the cave-in had not buried them within the cave

Raven said nothing but she seemed to be somewhat fasinated by BeastBoy's presence. BeastBoy felt eyes on him and his innate animalistic instincts told him that something was amiss. But he simply dismissed it as being in such a freaky cave. Moving a few rocks aside by morphing into a gorilla and using its immense strength the green changeling was able to create a small path, large enough for them to pass through, though it was very dark now that most of the refracting cave light was gone. BeastBoy was fine, wandering through the dark cave, his eyes easily able to absorb all the available light they could, but on the other hand he could hear Raven stumbling around in the dark. She may be able to navigate in her own darkness but when it came to the absence of light she was about as coordinated as a duck on the ice.

"Dude, you alright?" he asked

"I am fine...whoa!" she shrieked, tripping over a rock, which sent her into Beastboy.

BeastBoy caught her, but at the angle at which she fell he lost his balance and fell to the ground, his head toward the hard floor.

THUNK!

Luckily BeastBoy's hard-head broke the fall, but he banged it once again after he realized just how close the two had landed near each other and how close their faces were to one another.

THUNK!

"Ow!" he shrilled, trying to hold back a yell

He mumbled a few colorful words under his breath before Raven decided that she would get from on top of him. More pain hit him when his arms decided to burn once again and he sneered through his teeth at the unwelcome feeling.

"You seem to be in pain." Raven commented

"Nah, it's nothing, just a couple of scratches." he replied, hoping not to worry her, though it took a lot to worry Raven

"Nonsense, reveal to me your arms." she instructed

"Why?" he asked

"I wish to heal them." she replied

"No, really dude, its alright I'll just..."

"Reveal them to me now." she demanded, with a voice that sent a shiver down BeastBoy's spine even though the pitch or tone had barely changed

Obeying her command he revealed his arms to her and she placed them over them. The familiar feeling of pain disappearing stretched across BeastBoy's arms and he felt at easy, strange that it seemed that Raven was struggling a little more than usual however. When the injuries were next to fully healed Raven pulled away, seemingly having had exhorted herself.

"You okay? You seem a little out of it?" he asked "You sure that crazy old witch didn't do anything..."

"She did nothing!" Raven insisted

"Okay, okay! Just asking." he replied defensively "Well, at least she was getting back to her old self" he thought as they made their way out of the cave.

Meanwhile, back in the cave near the buried dragon a small, wrinkly, and old hand rose from the rocks, pushing them aside with great strain. Somehow a small old woman crawled from beneath the rubble, her body shaking violently from the sudden power surge that had originated a little earlier.

"Must stop her." The witch said as she slowly made her way out of the cave

* * *

Sorry readers that this chapter took so long. Schools been a pain, but I hope you enjoy this chapter. And try to give me you opinion of what may happen next. Peace out. 


	8. Strange, Very Strange

Here is the next chapter my friends. Hope you like it.

* * *

In the boulder-ridden area that was once part of the cave out two heroes slowly made their way through the new twists and turns that the fallen rocks had created. With Malchior permanently defeated and the strange ordeal with the witch foiled the two Titans merely had to safely traverse the cave and escape, thus putting an end to the nightmare that had befallen them. But the trek through the cave would be arduous, especially for the green changeling. Fear for Raven's safety drove BeastBoy to push his body beyond its limits, almost as if an instinctual response for her safety set off a process to exert his body! Now he was dead tired and his entire body ached, especially his arms. Fortunately for him Raven was kind enough to heal his burns after he tried (and failed) to block a ball of fiery death that the late Dread Dragon tried to incinerate him with. Though, with the dragon threat neutralized BeastBoy should have been at ease, but that was far from the truth. In actuality he was still on edge; something strange was going on but he could not put his finger on it. He tried to deliberate in his mind just why he felt so tense! 

"Raven hugged me! **She** hugged **_me!_**" he thought

Sure, he had hugged her first but he usually did that when he was happy; Raven **never** returned hugs!

"I mean she only hugged me once!" he thought

Ironically it was after the first Malchior experience that Raven did hug BeastBoy, actually initiating the hug itself!

"I guess, after everything that's happened, she still must be a little hurt." He thought

Most likely Raven was still holding onto some emotional baggage and (since BeastBoy was the only other person around at the moment) it was only natural that she would return his hug. BeastBoy himself knew the feeling of someone you cared for betraying you.

"But still..." he thought

BeastBoy still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Another reason for this was because Raven was holding his hand and she had yet to let go.

"I'm holding her hand...too weird..." he thought

The last time his hand and her hand met she had thrown it away like a diseased rat and he was not that at all! Well, _diseased_ anyway.

"I mean Raven is not the touchy-feely type. So why won't she let go?" he wondered

But, thinking further on the matter he deduced that since she couldn't really _see_ in the dark and he could the only reason she held onto his hand so tightly was because he was guiding her out of the cave.

"Once we see some light she'll probably let go." He thought

But there was still one key factor that made this entire experience feel truly out of place.

"She's _smiling!_" he yelled in his mind "Okay, its actually a smirk, but still...dude!" he thought over

Raven was not known to keep a smirk on her face, let alone a smile! Especially for a prolonged period of time! Sure, he knew when she was happy but she rarely showed it, unless the experience truly made her feel happy or when something humorous befell the green Titan. Other than that her face portrayed a plain expression most of the time. But it was not just the fact that Raven was smirking but it was the smirk itself. Something was hidden behind that smirk and BeastBoy felt it.

"I wonder..." He thought

The smirk seemed like it was hiding something, something of great importance, an importance that gave Raven an edge or something.

"It's just really...creepy." he thought

The smirk looked almost evil in its ways, masking its true intent, and for a minute BeastBoy thought that Raven's demon side was planning something. But there were no red eyes, just her normal pale violet ones, so he was safe.

"I better not ask her, nearly chewed my ear off last time and I like my ears, attracts the ladies." he thought

He did not want her to bark at him like she did the last time so he was smart enough to not say any of this out loud and tried his best just to dispel the strange feeling.

"It's probably nothing, nothing at all."

However he just didn't feel any better after going over everything. It was like a fly or gnat that just wouldn't leave you alone, no matter what you did. Swatting at the feeling didn't help. Trying to squish the feeling did not better. Even using bug spray didn't do a thing. And most likely, a bug zapper would just irritate the problem.

"Dude, I hate this freaky feeling." He thought

All BeastBoy wished for at the moment was that this freaky feeling (as he so put it) would just go away, quickly. But no matter how hard he tried it did not. Something definitely was wrong.

* * *

Cyborg, do you have a lock on Raven and BeastBoy?" Robin asked 

"Yep, got both their heartbeats on my scanner. At least we know they're breathing." he replied

"Oh joyous news! Our friends are safe!" said Starfire with glee

"Well they're alive, I'm just hoping they're..." Cyborg began

Cyborg wasn't always the smooth talker and sometimes said things that may darken a conversation, but Robin caught onto what Cyborg was about to say before hand and moved his arm across his neck, indicating the old non-verbal command known as 'cut it'. Upon seeing this Cyborg quickly changed gears.

"...in a good mood." he said

"What do you mean friend?" Starfire asked

"Uh...I mean... after getting Rae-napped by a giant dragon I'm guessing Rae ain't to happy. I wouldn't want to get her any more peeved off than she already probably is. And you know BeastBoy, that kid's prone to go a little crazy when he's pissed off about something. It would probably be a good idea not to set 'em off." Cyborg replied sheepishly

Cyborg stole a glance over to Robin, who in turn bore into the metal man with such intensity that if he had Starfire's powers green blasts of energy would have shot out of his eyes (once again). But it only lasted a few seconds because Starfire had gone ahead to try and find her friends.

"Robin, Cyborg, please hurry friends! Raven and BeastBoy should not be too much farther ahead!" she called to them

And with that Robin followed after her with Cyborg close behind.

"Not my fault your girlfriend goes from happy to heartbroken in like five seconds flat." Cyborg muttered as he followed his friends

* * *

From what BeastBoy could tell the cave-in had been pretty much in one area and as the moved further out the space they had to navigate increased. It would be only a matter of time before they would be out. Things finally looked like they were looking up! 

"Dude, am I ever glad we're almost out of here." BeastBoy said, partly to himself and partly to Raven

However, if he had known that talking, for no reason other than breaking the eerie silence that had washed over the two, had triggered the next question to be asked by Raven BeastBoy would never have opened his mouth.

"What is wrong Garfield?" she asked

Even saying his real name was freaky. Usually she only called him that at the tower. But now...the way she said it...something felt wrong.

"Nothing dude." he replied

"Do not lie." she informed "Why are you in discomfort?" she asked, moving slightly closer to him

"Discomfort, who's in discomfort?" he asked, sweating slightly

"Garfield, you can tell me." her voice was almost like a whisper, a rather alluring whisper

BeastBoy felt the blood rush to his face and the only thing he wanted was to crawl into a hole and hide there, but he had no such luck.

"Do I, intimidate you?" she asked, her voice cutting through him like a knife through butter "For if I do, then you may...tell me." she whispered

He could feel the sly smile that ran across her face, her voice, piercing into his mind and slowly taking hold. He almost fell under its spell but a sound other than her voice broke through.

"Friends!" squealed and overly happy tameranian "You are undamaged!" she cried, quickly skipping over to them, nearly running them down due to her speed

Her first target was Raven (being that she had been in the most danger) and her hug came quickly, too quickly for Raven to evade. She was soon engulfed by the show of affection.

"Raven! We have found you!" she exclaimed "Are you okay?" she asked

"I am fine!" Raven replied, rather irritated "Release me now!" she barked, but was careful to keep her mood in check

The reply was calm, yet fierce--nearly scary--and because of it Starfire adhered to Raven's wishes.

"Okay friend." Starfire replied, slightly depressed, but then she remembered what Cyborg had advised of her earlier and her joy quickly returned, focusing on BeastBoy

"BeastBoy! You are okay and you have rescued Raven!" she said excitedly

"Yeah..." he replied sheepishly

"Glad you're both okay." came Robin

"Yeah Rae, had us scared there a minute." Cyborg quipped

"Yes, I am fine. Let us leave." she replied directly, walking pass them

The four remaining Titans stared down Raven as if she had grown a second head. But they quickly dismissed this act of rudeness as being her temper was up. They knew what could happen if Raven got upset. They would just give her some time and she would be back to her normally calm self.

* * *

I hope the Titans are not in any danger." a young woman wished as she looked on at the Titans Tower 

Earlier she had heard a loud, monstrous roar coming from the tower; screaming a cry of pure bloodlust (or as she so interpreted). At first she thought it was the resident shape-shifter in the form of an animal. However, the roar had been far too loud for anything she knew he could transform into. Curiosity and concern took her over and she covertly flew over to the tower to see what was happening but when she got there she just happened to catch a glimpse of a certain alien female and a masked male (who was in her arms) flying out of the tower very rapidly. It seemed as if something of dire emergency had taken place but she couldn't be for sure. She just hoped that the green one was not in any danger.

"BeastBoy, please be okay." she prayed, slinking back into the shadows so not to be discovered

She hated this hiding she was forced to do, but had not choice in the matter. No matter how much she deliberated over the matter she still came up with the same conclusion.

"Not now."

But if 'not now', _when_, when would she? When would she tell the others that she was back? Although, it was not like she could just go to the front down and say, "Hey guys, long time no see!" or "Everyone, I'm back from my six year slumber. You miss me?" No matter how you sliced it there was just no way of going to the Titans and saying that she was back. It might interfere with the Titan's lives, maybe even destroy them and she did not want to run that risk for a second time. It was as if the freedom that she had so longed for was now more of a curse than a blessing. She could not go back to her old life. She had hardly had a life to go back to! She was not even her old self. She was **more** or less. Many valuable years had been lost, years that could not be replaced. But deep in her heart she wished she could. Impossible; she knew, but still she hoped that by some miracle she could be the girl she once was.

"Like that will ever happen." She said, laughing at her own ill-conceived thought

Maybe she should just leave the city all together; start a new life. She was use to running away from her problems anyway.

"Everyone would be better off." she thought, "Why disrupt lives? They deserved better."

She would just leave; no sign that she was ever there. One problem. Should he come to visit her 'grave' and she was not there he would be heartbroken. She did not want that to happen to him. He did not deserve such turmoil.

"I'll wait until he is alone. I'll tell him I'm back. Then I'll leave." She thought

But she quickly dismissed that idea.

"That could just cause him more harm than happiness." She surmised

The fact that he would know she was out there. He would do everything in his power to bring her back, thus negatively affecting the Titans. He was just the kind of person who cared far too much; even for his own good. But she so wanted to speak to him again, to merely let him know how she felt! The conflict between her heart and her reason was almost more than she could stand and it was continuing to escalate! All she could do was wander about and try to sort out her feelings.

"One of us will be hurt depending on my choice. Question is: Who will be hurt more?" she thought "And who can take the pain better."

* * *

Raven immediately went to her room after returning to the tower. Although she did have some trouble finding it at first. But after what she had went through it was just a matter of her being a little out of it. She just needed to rest. 

"So BeastBoy?" Robin asked, "What happened exactly?"

"Don't know really." he replied "Raven was all worried about something in her room last night but I didn't think it was **that** bad." he replied

"Okay, something was amiss in her room and I am guessing that it was Malchior." he mused, "I understand that." he replied, "What I want to know is what happened when he attacked earlier?" Robin asked

"Well Malchior came from nowhere, attacked, took Raven, and me and Cy went after him until you guys caught up, then Star and me went into some cave where Malchior attacked us but Star distracted him while I went deeper inside and found Raven and some freaky witch doing something to Raven, I'm not sure, buy anyway I busted in and tried to free Raven but Malchior came and we fought but then I caused a cave-in and blacked out and when I came to Raven was there and she was okay and Malchior's dead and the freaky witch is gone and then we found you guys and came back to the tower and that's about it." BeastBoy replied with an amazing display of lung capacity

"Did you get that man?" Cyborg asked, scratching the human side of his head

Clearly that explanation went clear over Cyborg's head (the human side anyway).

"Sorta." Robin replied, though he wasn't too sure of that "Can you tell me what this 'witch' was doing?" Robin asked

"Don't know." he replied with a shrug, "Said something about 'forces I can't hope to understand." he told him "There was a lot of bright lights and stuff." he mused

"Well we can't exactly interrogate the witch now that she's buried in that cave." Robin informed, stating the brutally obvious

"Yeah...sorry 'bout that." BeastBoy said meekly

"Don't worry about it BeastBoy. I'm just glad that Raven and yourself are okay." Robin reassured

"Yeah B, just glad you and Rae are alright." came Cyborg

"Yes friend. I am glad that you both are undamaged." Starfire replied

With that generous chorus of friendship it seemed that the troubles with Malchior were behind them. Taking advantage of this Cyborg decided to change the subject.

"Now with that all settled we can finally get back to more important things..." implied Cyborg

"What would that be friend?" Starfire asked

"Breakfast of course." he told her matter-of-factly "With all the dragon-chasing we didn't get a chance to eat the most important meal of the day." Cyborg told her

"Uh, Cy. It's 2:34 in the afternoon dude." BeastBoy told him

"B, B, B...B" he said, shaking his head in disagreement "Breakfast ain't about the time of day, but the _day of time_."

"Dude, that didn't make no sense." came BeastBoy

"Whatever man. Time for breakfast!" he said with glee

"Right..." murmured Robin, walking off

"Robin, where are you heading off to?" Starfire asked while BeastBoy and Cyborg argued over 'breakfast' over in the kitchen

"Just want to get a few things sorted out." he replied

"Do you not want to join us for the breakfast that will now be the lunch?" she asked

"Yeah, a little later. Just want to talk to Raven. Find out what happened with her side of the story." he told her

"Okay friend, but I do believe Raven may not wish to speak. She did return to her room quite rapidly." Starfire informed him

"Yeah, and that's what's worrying me." he told her before leaving the common room

Raising an eyebrow at the deductive leader, Starfire watched as he disappeared behind the door, and before she was nailed in the head by a rogue bowl of pancake batter.

* * *

Many inquiries ran through the detective's head, trying to contemplate all the different factors that were part of Raven's kidnapping. How did Malchior escape? Why did he kidnap her? Were this witch and Malchior working together? If so, why? These and many other questions raked the young detective's mind and with no answers and so many questions Robin need more clues. Talking to Raven would be a good start. It didn't take him long to reach her door and without hesitation he knocked on it. Waiting five seconds for an answer he went to knock again but the door opened before his hand could reach the surface. 

"What is your request?" she asked

Robin raised a masked eyebrow. Raven sounded rather, strange, even for her. But he remembered this was Raven he was dealing with and dismissed the eerie feeling.

"Uh...I just want to know if you are okay?" he asked

"I am fine." she stated quite simply and began to close her door

"Wait!" he exclaimed quickly, just barely catching her before the door closed "I also would like to know what happened in the cave and why Malchior escaped his book." he questioned

"There is nothing to say." She told him

"Come on Raven. I know he hurt you. BeastBoy told me about it when Malchior first escaped. I know it's hard to talk about and that I cannot possible understand what you may be feeling but I just want to help." he pleaded

"Garfield...he seem to know a lot about...myself, does he not?" she asked

"Uh..." he muttered, not ready for such a question "I suppose. I mean he's always around you I guess. But its not like he really knows you. It is more like he understands you, I guess." he replied "But please do not try to change the subject." he informed her "Is there anything you can tell me about what happened to you?" he asked, straighforward

Raven seemed to move into a state of deep thought, closing her self to the outside world and from Robin's standpoint it seemed like she was debating whether or not she could or would tell him anything.

"Raven?" he asked, losing patience

Upon hearing that her eyes opened, narrowing on the caped crusader. They were threatening yet they had a hint of enjoyment. Robin did not physically show it but that look shook him up a bit.

"All that you need to know is that the dragon took me against my will. I do not know what ritual the witch was performing or why. As well, I do not know the reason behind the dragon's escape. The tribulations elude me." she replied

Robin wasn't sure how to reply to that. He thought about probing some more but Raven was good at keep things from people and if she didn't want you to know about something she would do everything in her power to do so.

"Maybe I would find more answers if I check out the cave." He thought

"Is that all?" she asked, impatiently

"Well...yeah, I guess." he mumbled

"Good." she replied, stepping back

"Okay Raven, I'm glad you're..." the door shut in his face "Okay."

Robin mumbled something incoherent. Probably closely related to 'Bullcrap'.

"Well, that was weird." he thought

Robin was not stupid. He knew something was up; something Raven wasn't telling him. The problem was he didn't know what.

"I think I will go back to the cave. I am bound to find something there." he thought

Robin was _going_ to figure this out. All he had to do is fit some of the pieces of the puzzle he had discovered.

* * *

"Victor?" Kori called "Victor? Where is it that you are heading off to?" she asked 

"Oh, I'm just heading off to the West Side School for the Handicapped." he replied

"Oh?"

"Yeah, they got a big baseball game today and I'm the umpire." he replied

"Friend, you are such a kind person. I am filled with mirth that you use much of you spare time to help the children who have lost the limbs." She praised

"Thanks Kor... but it's not a big thing. I'm just happy to help." he replied

"Okay then." she replied

"Well, see ya Kor." he told her

"I shall be seeing you friend." she replied, waving goodbye

"Oh, and Kor?" he asked

"Yes?"

"If Gar and Rae pull anything while I'm gone. You got to make sure you tell me, alright?" he asked, a sly grin running across his face

Starfire matched his sly grin and nodded her head. With his question now answered he went on his way.

"Thanks Kor!" he called before disappearing behind the sliding door

Just as he left, however, Kori remembered something she had to do and she would not be able to spy on Raven and Garfield. She had rushed out the door and flew down the hallway but just before she could stop him the door to the elevator closed, blocking her off. With a sigh Kori decided she would spy on her two friends after her business was taken care of. Popping back into the common room she unexpectedly found Garfield sitting on the sofa, watching TV. Turning around, Garfield asked her the most obvious question.

"Yo Kori? Where's Vic?" he asked

"Victor has gone to the West Side School for the Handicapped." she replied, "He is doing the umpiring for the game that involves bases and balls." she replied

"Oh. He'll probably be gone a while." Garfield mumbled

With a sigh he squirmed on the sofa and started to randomly flip through the TV channels.

"What is the matter friend?" Kori asked

Nothing dude, just...bored." he replied

"Why is that?" she asked

"Game-station." he simply replied

"Oh."

"Want to play me a couple rounds?" he asked, hinting on being desperate

"I would friend, however, I have previous engagements." she replied

"Huh?" he asked, not really paying much attention

"I too leave for an activity of my own." she replied

"Oh."

"I am sorry friend. Maybe Dick may accompany you in battle on the video screen?" she suggested

"Nah, he's out doing some detective stuff. Probably won't be back for awhile." He told her

"Oh."

"It's alright Kor. I'll just sit her and rot my brain with television." he assured her

"Okay friend." she replied "I wish you good luck in the rotting of you brain and I now take my leave of you." she told him

"See ya."

"Goodbye."

And with that friendly exchange the orange girl took her leave of the green boy. With the tower relatively empty Garfield had no choice but to sit idly by and watch television, slowly vegetating.

* * *

If there was one thing that Victor, a.k.a. Cyborg loved more than his car was the fact that he could put smiles on the faces of small children, especially children who had lost a part of themselves. It was a satisfaction that he himself was accustomed to, being that he was much like the children _himself_. If he had the power he would make it so that tragedies such as this could be avoided. But making a small child happy when it seemed like all hope lost was the next best thing. As of right now there was a game between two teams. The West Side School for the Handicapped from Jump City vs. the East Side School for the Handicapped from Steel City. It didn't take him long to arrive at the field and the minute that he stepped out of the T-Car he was crowded by the home team or, in other words, a lot of kids. 

"Cyborg, Cyborg you're here!" cried a young boy with a prosthetic arm

"Of course kid. You think I'd really miss this game?" he asked the kid "Not even all the criminals in the city could keep me from this game."

"Really."

"Yep. Even if they took my arms and legs I'd get here even if I had to use my teeth." He replied

The child laughed and Cyborg's own smile brightened.

"Well it would seem that your resolve to bring these children happiness is absolute." came a voice from behind

"Huh?"

Turning to the source of the voice Cyborg's cybernetic jaw fell to the ground.

"You!" he gasped

"Yes it is I." she replied with a slight giggle "Simms, Sarah Simms. Do you not remember?" She asked

Snapping out of his momentary memory lapse he replied with coherent and intelligible speech.

"Yeah."

Okay...not quite 'coherent' but it was intelligible.

"Duh..."

That however was not.

"I hope you are not suffering once again from memory loss?" she wondered

"What...what are you doing here?" he asked

"I am these children's teacher." she replied

"Really?" he asked, surprised "Never seen ya around here." he told her

"I am new. I came in about a week ago." she replied

Cyborg raised his human eyebrow at that.

"What is with that look?" she asked

"Nothing." he replied quickly "It's just...you're different."

"Different...different how?" she asked

"Well most of the teachers are...well...older." he replied sheepishly

"What, are you intimidated by a younger woman?" she asked

"Nah, no way man." he told her "Just...sorta strange." he replied, blushing slightly

With that the children watching began to snicker and one was bold enough to begin with the mocking.

"Cyborg's got a girlfriend! Cyborg's got a girlfriend! Cyborg's got a _girlfriend!_" the child mocked

With that the group of children exploded into laughter and Cyborg, blushing, growled at them. However the children were laughing too hard to notice. Sarah giggled slightly and the blush on Cyborg's face grew. Now Cyborg loved to make fun of his friends when it came to their supposed attractions between them, but when he was on the receiving end he didn't take it so well.

"I do not!" he yelled, though his voice squeaked badly

"Yah hah!" the kid said, "Miss Simms is your girlfriend! Miss Simms is your girlfriend!" the children cheered

"She is not!" he whined, chasing after them "Come back here! Ya'll are gonna pay for that ya little..."

But the children scattered like roaches and he soon was left alone in the parking lot.

"Let us go. We have a game." Sarah advised, patting him on the back, trying to calm him (though she had to try her hardest to try and hide her own laughter)

Cyborg let loose a low, feral growl but obeyed nonetheless.

* * *

It's not strange to see an orange alien girl walking the streets of Jump City. It's not strange to see an orange alien girl greeting the citizens of Jump City. It's probably not even strange that this orange alien girl has made friends with a few citizens of Jump City. What probably is strange is that this orange alien is double-dutching with those few citizens of Jump City. 

"Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack; all dressed in black, black, black. With silver buttons, buttons, buttons; all down her back, back, back." Sang a few other girls while double dutching

Starfire's turn came soon and jumped in and began to sing; her own 'tweaked' version

The Miss Mary, Mack, Mack, Mack: who donned the black, black, black. The black clothing contained silver buttons, buttons, buttons; which traveled down the black clothing's back, back, back."

Now you may be wondering how a girl like Starfire was introduced into the world of double dutch and these girls. That is actually a very funny tale.

(Flashback)

"What is this strange event involving the jumping of rope?" Starfire asked one day when she was wandering the streets of Jump City

She had run into a group of girls who were 'doing the twirling of ropes around while jumping between them' as she so put it.

"What? You never jump rope before?" asked one girl

"No." Starfire replied

"Wow..." was the girl's only reply

"May I participate in this 'Jumping of the Ropes'?" Starfire asked

"I guess."

"So how do I do so?" Starfire asked, thinking that jumping rope must be some sort of complicated event

"You just jump in and try to jump over the ropes." the girl replied

"Okay." Starfire replied

Starfire then watched as the ropes began to twirl, carefully, waiting for the right opportunity to jump in. It was almost how she felt when she was about to go into battle, the wait for the perfect moment to strike. And then...that moment came! Jumping in she began to jump rope, more specifically, double-dutch. Strange enough Starfire did rather well as she double-dutched, in turn gaining praise from the other girls.

"You sure this is your first time jumping?" asked a girl

"Yes." replied Starfire

"Wow..." came the girl's reply

Starfire jumped with such grace that the ropes seemed to move in slow motion compared to her and the faster the ropes were twirled, the faster that Starfire jumped. Starfire was so into the jumping that if you could slow down time you could actually see that she had jumped three times before the rope made it to her feet! Once, 45 degrees from the ground, another time at the zenith of the rope's twirl and then again when she did jump over it!

"Look at her go!" one girl cheered

"She's tearing it up!" another girl exclaimed

"What is it that I am 'tearing up'?" Starfire asked, "I do not wish to cause any damage." she replied

"It's nothing girl." one of the girls replied

"Oh."

Starfire continued to double-dutch and the girls were amazed by her flawless grace. It was from that day forward that Starfire became a part of their crew.

(End of Flashback)

"Go Fire, Go Fire, Go Fire! Go, go!" the girls cheered, as Starfire wowed them with moves that she had picked up from watching the other girls

The nickname 'Fire' came basically because she jumped like fire, erratically but with style.

"It's ya birthday, it's ya birthday!" she cheered

"It is not friends." She said while jumping "My earthen birthday is not for a few months and my tameranian birthday is not for another year." she replied

They simple stared at her. She was naive but they had to admit, she was damn good at double-dutch.

"Don't worry about it Fire." a girl told her "Just keep doing what you do best."

"Okay."

* * *

Sorry about the _long_ wait. I've been on vacation for so long, thinking over what I wanted to write. But I'm back and ready to continue my story. Please read and review and I hope you enjoy this. 


	9. Riddle Me This, Riddle Me That

Hello readers of fanfiction. Here is dragonsroar with another installment of Seeing Life in a Different Perspective. Strange twists are on the horizon and a new threat is lurking right under the noses of our unsuspecting Titans. Hope you're ready because the story waits.

* * *

Robin's friends told him that honestly, he could be rather paranoid and such a thing was true on a few occasions. But other times, Robin's intuitive nature was what helped solve a crime. Nevertheless Robin would not/could not be happy unless everything fell into place; being distinguished accurately and effectively. But this puzzle that he was trying to solve had many pieces missing and the Boy Wonder would not be satisfied until they all fit together smoothly. So with his trusty brain, steely determination, and 'obsessive-for-details' nature he set forth to put things in order so that he could finally put this investigation to rest. The strange cave where Raven was taken was his obvious choice. Much of the cave was in ruins and the only two individuals who knew the meat of what happened were buried along with it. Robin's searched basically ended up like trying to ask a blind man what was on television last night while the TV was muted. 

(Meanwhile)

If you knew anything about the shape-shifter known as BeastBoy you would know that he goes in and out of vegetation often. If you knew anything about the individual known as Garfield you would know that he grows bored rather quickly. Now you may ask what does this all mean and what does this young man do when this happens. This young man usually does nothing and continues to lay around, bored, and in a state of vegetation. Being prone to do this continuously he usually becomes dead to the world as his mind is taken hostage by the bright lights and funny sounds the television produces. With a zombie-like stare he never noticed the doors to the common room open and a certain someone wafted into the room. The intruder floated up to him quietly, not making a noise as she moved into striking range. By the time his mind registered that someone else might be in the room a cool hand clamped down on his shoulder, shocking him indefinitely. Proclaiming his excitement he let loose a sound that was frequently used in his vocabulary.

"AHH!"

Turning around sharply he held up the remote at his 'attacker' as if it were an intricate weapon designed to fend off intruders. But to his realization it was Raven who had shocked him from his zombie-like vegetation.

"It would seem as if I have startled you young Garfield." came the female's voice

"Oh, Raven...dude, it's you." he replied, breathing a sigh of relief "_Geeze_, don't scare me like that."

"How would you wish for me to do so?" she asked calmly

"Guess she's back to her old self." he thought

From what he could ascertain Raven seemed to be all right, but because he had a knack for worrying about things he could not help but ask if she was okay.

"You okay Raven?" he asked

"I am fine." she replied flatly "However I do thank you for you concern." She told him

"Well...you know...just asking." he replied, while his face turned bright red

"Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that you have still not answered my earlier question, is that so?" she asked

"What...question?" he asked, though deep down he sorta knew

"Do I intimidate you?" she asked, her voice barely wavering

"Gah! Dah! Bah..." he muttered

Now, if you could picture what was exactly going on in young Garfield's head at the moment you would see a nuclear facility that was experiencing a nuclear meltdown. The little people inside the facility, that strangely resembled himself, were frantically running around, trying their best to quell the imminent disaster that was about to take place. Something in the young woman's voice disturbed the delicate balance of the facility and his natural defenses at such a threat were failing him. To keep him from uttering something completely inane his brain did the only logical thing it could consider at a time like this. His brain shut down to only the most minimal settings or in Garfield's case it relied on one-word answers and short-phrased responses!

"Uh...I guess...maybe, you know...I'm not sure." he replied

Things were not all right in Jersey or the tower for that matter.

"Oh..." Raven replied, smirking slightly

Seeing that she had him wrapped around her little finger she decided that best course of action was to press further.

"If this is so then you may tell me. Did I not tell you this earlier?" she asked

He nodded his head.

"Good." she replied

For a lack of a better word Garfield was officially screwed. He did not know what to say or how to say it. The little voice in his head known as his common sense had skipped town after his brain shut down and he was no better than a deer caught in the headlights. For a moment he wished someone would just blow his head off.

"Please, there is much I wish to discuss with you." Raven told him "Let us turn off this device so that we may talk in peace." she told him, grabbing the remote and pushing the power button

The television went off with a low 'bleep' sound; his last barrier cut off from him so that now, he had no escape from what would seem to be a very serious discussion.

"Now, let us begin." she said

* * *

"Grah!" yelled the masked vigilante as he let his impatience get the better of him 

To help release some pent up anger he released the heel of his shoe on a nearby rock. When the rock obliterated on contact he felt very relieved. It felt good to hit something. Only problem, he caused a few rocks to tumble down from their insecure location. One of those rocks happened to land on his shoe, causing sizeable pain.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" he yelled, sending his shrilled yells down the cave

Searching cave ruins for the better part of an hour had tried the man's patience, being that he hadn't turned up a single clue. The kung-fu kid was just as lost with the case as he was when he first started!

"God dammit!" he cursed, holding onto his foot while he let the pain subside

With a growl he grabbed the rock that had caused him pain and was about to hurl it as far as he was able but instead he let his arm drop and he closed his eyes.

"I need to calm down." He told himself "Getting angry will not help. I need to clear my mind and focus on my objective."

Sitting down on the cold ground he crossed his legs and laid his hands on his knees. Then slowly he began to chant, regulating his erratic breathing.

"Peace, quiet, tranquility. Peace, quiet, tranquility. Peace, quiet, tranquility." he chanted, quelling his misplaced aggression toward the innocent rocks

"It would seem that you have been spending a great deal of time with a certain alien." came a voice from within the cave

Instinctively Robin whirled around, instantly brandishing his Bo-staff mid-twirl with the finesse of a gymnast. Spinning it behind himself he readied himself for whoever or _whatever_ may have been lurking in the shadows.

"Show yourself!" he commanded

He heard the sound of raspy breathing; air whooshing in and out rapidly as if whoever it was had just completed some sort of strenuous exercise.

"As you wish." the voice said

From what Robin could surmise the voice seemed to be as relaxed as it could be, not wanting to portray any unnecessary emotions. When the shadowy figure emerged into the light Robin's eyebrow went up. He saw a decrepit elderly woman wearing only a long robe and pointed hat, both of which had seen better days. The woman's teeth were rotting and yellow with rancid breath spewing from in-between the cracks. Her hair was very grey and probably never came face-to-face with a comb before as is seemed frazzled and unkempt. Yet the most distinguishing characteristic of this strange woman was the fact that her eyes seemed dark. Not 'a dark shade of something' dark, but a foreboding dark. You could barely recognize the pupils or the iris of the eyes. The darkness seemed to pierce into Robin's soul. However he was smart enough to not let this get to him.

"From your attire and the fact that you have taken refuge in this cave I would assume that you are the witch that a friend of mine spoke of." Robin began "But, just exactly, who are you?" he asked

"I am not surprised that you do not recognize me. I hardly recognize myself but, believe me when I say that Titan that you returned with is not as she seems." the witch told him

"What?"

"A great many things happened in this cave but the one that takes priority above them all is directly in front of you." the witch replied

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked "Stop talking in riddles!" he demanded, his anger rising again

"Temper, temper Robin. You should know me by now. I have a way of...getting you to figure out what you already know." she told him

"And that would be?" he asked

"Did I not just say that you already know?" she asked, "Think about it. Why on earth would that **dragon** go to so much trouble to take someone he despised so readily instead of ending her life?" the witch asked, snorting at the world 'dragon'

"Simple, he would want something from her." he replied

"Or for her." the witch replied, "Why involve a second party?"

"He must have..." Robin began, deliberating "...made some sort of deal; exchanger her for something else." Robin replied "But if he was already free then what could he possibly want?" Robin asked

"Maybe that is the answer." the witch replied, sounding as she had just come to the same conclusion herself "He could not escape from the book without a great deal of magic and assistance. By copping a deal however he bargained for what he needed."

"But why Raven?" Robin asked "Why trade her for his freedom?"

"Why indeed, although, that should not be too difficult to figure out. There are many ways to be trapped. Being stuck in a book is not the only one." the witch replied

Walking slowly over to him Robin could now see that the witch took tentative steps, as if unsure that her frail body would make it over to him. Robin stopped twirling his Bo-staff and merely kept it at his side, feeling slightly sorry for the old woman's weak movements. When she was about a foot away the witch tripped and Robin lunged out, catching her before she hit the ground.

"This body is very old and very weak. It could not travel very far in the world." the witch told him "But I must say, I have a newfound respect for the elderly." the witch chuckled

Pieces of the puzzle were slowly fitting together but a big, significant chunk was still missing so Robin continued with asking questions.

"Have you ever left this cave?"

"Since I have been here? No way." she replied "I barely got to this spot without having a heart attack. Wish I was young again or had another body. To bad I can't ask a certain possessed puppet." she replied

"Body switching?" he questioned

"And he hits the nail on the head." the witch quipped, "A fair enough trade; freedom for freedom. The use of Chaos Magic in order to free the dragon from his book and the use of brute strength in order to bring a suitable host for the switch." replied the witch

"And Raven just happened to be the right choice." he surmised

"Yes, she was."

"But my friend told me he interfered."

"Not quickly enough."

Robin put his Bo-staff back into his utility belt after he came to a starting revelation.

"If the witch was successful in switching bodies then that would mean..."

"Yes." the witch repled

"Oh no." he said in dismay "We need to go!" he yelled

* * *

"You could have anything you desire. Simply wish for it and it is yours." She told him 

"Raven...what are you talking about?" Garfield asked, "What do you mean 'anything I desire'?"

"Just as I said. I have, acquire a great deal of knowledge since my abduction." she told him "I could do so much for you." she replied

"Is that what that freaky witch was trying to do to you?" he asked

"If that is what you believe." she replied

"Raven, something's wrong, I know it, what happened to you?" he asked

"Nothing is wrong. In truth everything is going along smoothly. I have become something more, better. I have become more...understanding."

"Wha?"

"Is it not your wish that I could become more thoughtful of you? Do you not wish that I become something more to you?" she asked

"Yeah...I guess. But Raven. You don't seem like yourself."

"That's because she is not herself!" yelled a raspy voice

Garfield and Raven turned to the doors to see Robin and a strange old lady standing in-between them.

"You!" yelled Raven, instantly powering up and lunging at the old lady

Robin however threw a barrage of stun disks at Raven, blowing her across the common room.

"Dude! Why are you attacking Raven?" Garfield yelled

"Listen to me BeastBoy! That is **not** Raven!" Robin told him

"What...dude, what are you talking about!"

"Remember, in the cave, the strange witch that was performing that ritual you were telling me about?" Robin asked him

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"It was a body switching ritual. Raven and the witch and vice versa."

"Wha?"

"She took my body idiot." The witch told him

Only one person called him an, 'idiot' in that fashion and BeastBoy finally understood. Staring at the small old lady his mouth hung open slightly before he spoke.

"You mean that **you'****re** Raven?" he asked "And that is..." he trailed off, looking at the downed Raven

"Yes, it is true. I am the witch of the cave. I should have foreseen this. The young man that is your leader is very intuitive." Replied 'Raven', standing up

"I want my body back!" yelled the 'witch'

"Give up now!" Robin ordered

"You must be fooling yourself. I have finally obtained freedom from millennia of seclusion and you believe that I would give this up? I will never return to that frail body. I have powers unimaginable and you dear child have merely scratched the surface from what I have been able to conclude from your memories! It is ironic that I would ended up in the body of a half-demon, even one such as yourself. The daughter of the most powerful demon to have ever lived! I can now do so much more than what I could when I was trapped within that cave and I am not willing to give up this type of power peacefully." the imposter replied

Robin's Bo-staff was already brandished and BeastBoy bared his teeth. But before going into battle he had to ask but one thing.

"Yo Raven, don't mind if I mess you up a bit?" he asked "Well, you're body anyway."

"Whatever you need to do to subdue her do it but, if I see any scars on my body there _will_ be hell to pay and you'll be the one paying it." the 'witch' replied

"Amusing that you should mention that, because that is where I will be sending you!" the imposter yelled, thrusting her hand at Robin.

Robin immediately jumped out of the way before a spike of dark energy that plowed through the ground, plowed through him.

"Raven, you go call the others and I'll help Robin!" BeastBoy told her, throwing his communicator at her

The communicator skidded to a stop in front of her and she bent down to grab it. A few popping bones could be heard and a groan escaped her lips.

"My _**back.**_"

"Die!" yelled the imposter, levitating a chair and getting ready to heave it at the 'witch'

However, Robin was able to get in close and successfully threw off the attack. Just as the real Raven bent down to pick up the communicator the chair sailed clean over her and into the hallway.

"Would you **please** watch what you are throwing? That was my favorite chair!" the real Raven yelled, flipping on the communicator

The first face to pop up was Starfire's before the screen split in half to show Cyborg's, who had an umpire's facemask on. Starfire seemed to be jumping from the looks of it.

"Who are you?" Starfire asked

"And why do you got one of the Titan's communicators?" Cyborg asked, rather annoyed

"No time. Long story short, the witch in the cave switched bodies with me and you are now talking to Raven." She told them

"What are you talking about? How do I know this is all true?" Cyborg asked

The witch pointed the communicator at the fight in the common room and Cyborg saw BeastBoy in the form of a jackrabbit, dodging an assortment of sharp objects while the imposter used her other hand to deflect a barrage of electric disks.

"I will kill you both and then I will cast your souls into an eternity of pain!" the imposter yelled

"So? Raven says that sometimes." Cyborg replied

"The secret compartment in the T-Car contains a picture of Jinx and a picture of Kole." she told him

"Hey! I only told one person that and that was...Raven?" he asked

"Yes, get over here, **now!**" she yelled

"Cyborg, I did not know you kept pictures of females in a secret compartment in the T-car?" came Starfire before the screen shut off

"Watch out!" yelled Robin

The real Raven looked up to see the sofa flying right towards her. Normally this wouldn't hurt somebody but because the witch's body was so frail the impact would cause some massive damage. Luckily for her a certain green cougar pushed her out of the way before the relaxing piece of furniture could finish her off.

"Thanks." replied the real Raven

"No problem...but Raven?" he asked

"What?"

"Two words, breath mints." he told her with a smirk

"That was _so_ funny BeastBoy." she replied sarcastically "Remind me of that if I should get my powers back, my _pain inflicting_ powers." she told him"

"Got to get back to fight you...er...not the real you but that you, which isn't the you-you..."

"Just go!" she yelled

"Right!" he exclaimed, bolting off to aid Robin in battle, and dropping her in the process

"Wow, I know I should say 'I've fallen and I can't get up' but that would be a horrible pun." Raven said

Robin fired a grappling hook at the imposter who narrowly avoided the long-range device. But hitting her with the weapon was not Robin's intention. With it securely in the ground Robin let it pull him over to her at a speed her reflexes could not track. The imposter was greeted with a gut check in the belly and then was thrown into large windows of the tower.

"Robin! Watch what you are doing!" yelled the real Raven, fuming that her body was being treated so rough

"Well Raven. First, I'm trying not to die if you didn't know that..." he said, dodging a stereo"...and second I'm only doing this to try and subdue this imposter." he told her, ducking under a lethal fork

The imposter didn't seem to care what she threw at the two fighting Titans as long as it caused them some sort of pain. However both Titans were far to nimble for her (Or their own good. Have you seen these two twist their bodies? Freaks!). BeastBoy's quick-wittedness aided him in dodging by allowing him to quickly morph into various animals. The constant size change confused the imposter. Robin was just naturally flexible and because he was an acrobat he could easily bend himself in order to dodge whatever the imposter threw at him. Together the two Titans were untouchable as long as they stayed on the defensive.

"I understand that, but could you please be slightly more aware that if you hurt her I won't have much off a body to return to." the real Raven told him, ducking behind the kitchen counter

Raven wanted the two boys to stop the imposter but not at the cost of damaging her body. She sorta grew attached to it (if you know what I mean). And throwing a person into a window was not the best way to keep them from being hurt.

"I'll try to consider that." he replied, jumping over a Game-Station controller "BeastBoy, can you think of something that can help?" Robin asked, smashing the TV remote with his Bo-Staff. Then he stopped briefly"What have I done?" he yelled in his mind after shattering the device

"Dude! What did you do to the remote?" BeastBoy asked, taking refuge behind the coffee table

Robin flipped through the air, dodging an array of deadly spoons.

"BeastBoy!" Robin yelled, irritated that he didn't hear a word he had said

"Right, right. Uh...something to stop Raven's body without hurting it, hmm?" he thought, "Hey, I know!" he exclaimed

Without a moment's noticed he morphed and within seconds he became a rather large spider. I'm not talking about, tarantula big either--I'm talking about mountain cat big--that type of big. Everyone in the common room stopped and stared at the overgrown spider (all except for the real Raven who had _miraculously_ turned over on her belly but still couldn't get up).

"That may work." Robin said to himself

The giant spider turned and fired a string of web at the imposter, instantly wrapping her up into a cocoon of silk.

"What manner of trickery is this?" the witch questioned as her body became encased until only her eyes and nose were visible.

The imposter's eyes grew white, indicating that she was about to use Raven's powers but Robin was quicker. Cupping a hand over his mouth he used his other hand to squeeze a small ball, which released a strange gas. The moment the imposter inhaled the gas her eyelids grew heavy and he world went blurry. It didn't take long for the effect to fully kick in and the imposter was down faster than BeastBoy when he hit the hay. Robin waited until the cloud of gas dissipated before he uncovered his mouth. With the imposter down Robin smiled, content that the situation was over for the moment.

"Nice job BeastBoy!" Robin congratulated, though it was rather strange talking to an eight-eyed creature

BeastBoy morphed back however and with a smile he thanked his leader.

"No problem dude. Just glad we didn't hurt Raven...her body anyway." he replied

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you turn into?" Robin asked

"Oh, it's a really big spider that lived a long time ago or so. It's really rare and I only saw a picture of it after seeing on of Starfire's docs."

"Oh."

"Yep, that silk's so tough that you can't cut through it with normal stuff." he told him

"Then how do we get that stuff off her when we get Raven back in her body?" Robin asked

"Well...I could chew it off." BeastBoy replied

"Oh."

"I am sorry if I am interrupting a _riveting_ conversation but if it would not be any trouble...COULD ONE OF YOU GET ME UP!" the real Raven roared

"Do you want to?" Robin asked

"Rock, paper, scissors?"

"NOW!" boomed the real Raven

While the real Raven laid on the ground, mumbling colorful words Robin and BeastBoy commenced with the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Robin won.

"Damn!" BeastBoy muttered, snapping his finger in defeat

With his small victory at hand Robin watched at BeastBoy walked over to the real Raven and helped her up.

"You okay?" he asked

"I'm in the body of an old hag, my back hurts, I had my favorite chair thrown at me, and this robe is rather drafty. What do you think?" she replied, snidely

BeastBoy chuckled sheepishly but seeing that Raven was not in the mood the chuckle turned to shame. Raven, being an old softy at heart could not bear to see him like that. He had only been worried about her.

"But...thank you for you concern." she replied, looking away

"No problem Raven." he replied, blushing

Robin was slightly frightened, for three reasons. One was the fact that BeastBoy was holding a very old woman in his arms and was blushing. Another was the fact that BeastBoy was holding _Raven_ in his arms and was blushing! The final fact was that Raven was blushing while being held in **Beastboy**'s arms!

"Friends! We have arrived!" yelled Starfire as she busted into the common room

Cyborg came from behind her, sonic cannon at the ready. But when he saw Robin standing over a Raven-shaped silk cocoon and BeastBoy holding a very old woman in his arms he dropped his arms and growled.

"I drove all this way, most likely breaking a few speeding laws, and all the action is over with?" he whined "The world hates me." he muttered

"What has happened?" Starfire asked

"It's a _long_ story." Replied Robin, BeastBoy, and the real Raven in unison

* * *

Hope you enjoyed that chapter. The next should be coming soon so look out for it. I would also like to thank the reviewers. They have informed me of some errors in my story and I have progressively made it so that my future chapters are mistake free. I hope you can understand my story and I am glad you are reading. Thank you!  



	10. Wondering What Will Happen

Now for chapter ten of my story, continuing from when the others find out that Raven and the witch switched. This part of the story will be basically rudimentary. No big action scenes. But don't worry the next chapter after this will be action packed with jaw-dropping special effects. Trust me, you'll love it!

* * *

"What are we to do?" Starfire asked, concern flowing from her lips

"Not really sure Star. Rae's the one who knows all the magic stuff." Cyborg replied

"Maybe Robin will discover the means to put our friend back into her correct body." she said inquisitively

"Maybe, but I wouldn't get ya hopes up. The fake Rae wasn't exactly helpful back there." he told her

"Yes, she was not." she replied in a gloomy fashion

* * *

"When I am released from these constraints you will experience pain untold!" screeched the fake Raven

"Not likely. Those bonds were specifically designed to neutralize Raven's powers. There is no way you will be able to break free." Robin told her

"Release me now!" she shrieked

"Once again, not likely." he said Now, I want to know how to reverse the effect." he asked

"Even if I cared enough to explain it to you, your small mind could not comprehend the contingencies involved in Chaos Magic. It is above you. You cannot possibly hope to grasp its secrets." she told him, grumbling obscenities at him

"I may not be able to, but my friend that you switched bodies with will." he responded "However you should not be concerned with that right now. Tell me how to reverse the effect! Tell me now!" he ordered

"As you said, not likely." she retorted I will not give up this body to you or anyone else." she told him "You may do this interrogating all you wish, you will not sway me." she told him

Robin growled but was able to keep his anger in check. If the fake did not want to cooperate then fine, He'd let her stew in her cell for the time being.

"I will be back later. We'll see if you think differently then." he told

"I have waited centuries to be free of that cave. A few hours is nothing compared to what I have went through." she told him

"We'll see."

With that he was out the door. The detective immediately went to Raven's room. The real Raven was currently trying to find a way to switch her body back with the witch and was feverously looking through her books and ancient tomes. Without the aid of her powers Raven had to rely on the help of a certain green changeling to retrieve the text she required. She told him that this was the only freebie he had of coming into her room and any further intrusion on her privacy would lead to severe physical damage. Now BeastBoy was ecstatic, though careful not to show it. Now he had a chance to go snooping around in Raven's room without the fear of her dismembering him should she catch him inside. Only problem was he never actually got the chance to do any snooping at all. Raven kept the nosy shape-shifter busy by having him taking and replacing books on her self at the times she did or did not need them. He ended up running around her room more than he did within his own!

"Top shelf, three books from the right." she ordered, barely looking away from a tomb she was reading

"Top...shelf, three...from right." BeastBoy replied, slightly out of breath

He ran to the designated spot, replaced the current book he had in its exact original location and grabbed the indicated book before running back to Raven to hand her the book. Her wrinkly hands took the book, immediately dropping off another into the green changeling's gloved hands before studying the ancient text. BeastBoy hopped over to the shelf and replaced the book, sweat glistening from his face, he breathing erratic as he tried to catch his breath.

"Never...thought...I'd be...Raven's...errand boy." he breathed

"Middle shelf, fifth from left." she commanded

On command BeastBoy was off to collect the book she needed. This system of events went on for only a few minutes but by then BeastBoy needed to rest. Luckily Raven found what she was looking for or what BeastBoy thought was the case because Raven perked up when she saw a certain passage in one of her books; thus ceasing his running around.

"Find...something...Raven?" he asked

Raven didn't reply; she was too absorbed in whatever she was reading.

"Guess that's...a yes." he murmured

In a heartbeat Raven turned, placing a bookmark in the book she was reading to keep from losing her place. As she walked out of her room she grabbed BeastBoy by the wrist, pulling him out with her.

"Come." she ordered

"Riiiiiight!" he squealed as he was virtually dragged out the room

"Geeze didn't think old ladies could be so strong." BeastBoy commented as he was pulled down the hall

(Present Time)

At Robin's command Starfire and Cyborg were busily trying to uncover anything that could help Raven restore herself to her original body but even with their superhuman strength excavating the cave they could not find much to help them.

"Maybe if we move deeper within the cave friend, then maybe we shall discover what we are looking for." Starfire suggested

"What exactly _are_ we looking for?" Cyborg asked

"Raven said that the witch that stole her body used a strange spell with a written diagram upon the ground. If we should find this diagram it may lead to the clues that are needed in order to help our friend." Starfire replied

"Well I hope we find this thing and soon. Not to be mean, but the new Rae sorta smells a little funky." Cyborg commented, waving his hand in front of his nose

"Cyborg!" she squealed, astonished "How could you say such a thing about Raven's condition? It is not her fault that her teeth are rotting and her breath is very stinky! She may reek far worst then the Gordanians but she is still our friend! You should be much kinder to our scary looking friend!" she scolded

"Sorry Star." he said "I'm glad you are _so_ understanding of Rae's predicament." he quipped

"You are welcome." she replied, oblivious

* * *

It didn't take long for Robin to reached Raven's room, but upon his arrival he was nearly run down by the small old woman and BeastBoy who both seemed to be in a hurry. BeastBoy nearly took Robin's head off with his frantic arm swinging but Robin was able to duck under the erratic display before he was short one skull.

"Where's the fire?" Robin asked, watching as a seemingly feeble old woman basically dragged a much taller boy by his arm

"Don't know, but Raven's onto something. She had that look in her eye...even if they're kinda dull looking." BeastBoy replied

"I am right here you know." Raven replied "Robin." she called, receiving instant acknowledgement from the leader "I may need your help as well. Come with me." she told him

With that Robin followed in pursuit. The three made their way toward the back of the tower where a long hallway led up to a very familiar room, a room that was used to keep Raven safe during the whole Trigon incident. The room brought back some memories of the encounter but the three did their best not to focus on them. Nevertheless BeastBoy did wonder why Raven led them down toward the room and soon voiced his thoughts.

"Uh, Raven? Why are we down here?" BeastBoy asked "I mean we only used this place once and..."

"I know." she replied, interrupting him "This room is very much the most spiritual place in the entire tower. The area is concentrated with magical energy, a great deal of magical energy, just not centralized. However, what I have discovered may very well only work in this room. It is just a matter of centralizing all the rampant energy within." she replied

There was no further discussion of why they were heading toward the room. Robin used the hand-identification lock to open the room and the doors hissed open, grinding slightly after no use for quite a while. Cold air whooshed out of the room, sending shivers down BeastBoy's spine. Raven walked to the middle of the room and sat down, opening the book to its designated page.

"Robin." she called "Bring me the doll that was once the Puppet King." she told him

"Why?"

"That doll contains dormant traces of Chaos magic, specifically that of soul switching. Basically that is what the witch did to me. If I can use this body's powers and the powers lying in the doll I should be able to create a counter spell to the switch."

"Right, be right back." he said, racing off to the evidence room

"So Raven, really think you can change yourself back?" BeastBoy asked

"I...I don't know...I really don't. I am powerful, but that's only to a certain degree. Chaos magic is out of my expertise. I am only making assumptions at the moment. I don't know if I'll be able to get my body back or not."

"I'm sure you will...I mean, you're Raven! You can do anything! You even saved the world by yourself! Getting your body back should be a snap!" he assured her, giving her own of his trademark smiles

"If I was in my original body I might have just smiled." she told him

"Really?"

"Key word: 'might' have."

"Eh, close enough."

"Thank you..."

"No problem."

"I got the puppet!" sounded a voice

Robin barreled into the room, puppet in hand, and out of breath.

"Why are you out of breath?" the real Raven asked

"Well, when I passed by the holding room the fake Raven started yelling at me in a strange language. I decided not to stick around for very long."

"Okay...give me the doll?" she asked

"Sure."

Robin handed Raven the demon puppet and she attentively went to work on it. Her hand began to glow an eerie yellow and soon the puppet started to glow as well, far dimmer and in a light-bluish color. The air in the room grew colder and from nowhere a slight wind began to pick up.

BeastBoy morphed into a guinea pig with a very puffy coat of fur to avoid the cold; however Robin had no such luck and started to shiver. Raven was concentrating too hard the puppet to deal with the cold as her strange new powers infused themselves with the wooden figurine. Then the room itself started to glow, a mysterious glow of a faint white almost unrecognizable by normal means. The powers from the room slowly seeped into Raven before being transferred into the doll. The doll began to glow brighter as more and more energy flowed into it. Just as it seemed the doll would not be able to handle anymore energy everything stopped, the glowing, the energy transfer, everything. A strange silence fell over the room, like the calm before the storm. With the sudden stop BeastBoy morphed back to his human form to put in his two-cents.

"Uh...is that it?"

Then suddenly, flames exploded around Raven, engulfing her in a bluish flame.

"Raven!" BeastBoy yelled, ready to dive in to save her

But before he could save her he heard her voice from within the flames.

"Do not worry BeastBoy, I am fine. I believe I am ready, bring my body." she told them, the blue flames roaring around her

"Come on BeastBoy, I'm going to need your help to recover Raven's body. That witch is a kicker." Robin said, walking to the door

"Uh...yeah, be right there." BeastBoy replied

The changeling gave one final look at the flames surrounding Raven. Then he quickly shook his head of his concerns, knowing that Raven was fine. She was Raven after all. He then took off after Robin.

"I will kill you all!" roared the fake Raven

Retrieving the fake Raven proved to be more difficult than first thought. Like Robin said, she was a kicker, even with her legs bound she was able to move her legs around wildly and with dangerously.

"I'll get her legs, you handle her upper body." Robin told BeastBoy

With a nod BeastBoy went to the task of subduing the fake Raven's upper half, trying to loop his arms around her body to try and hold her still. He managed to get an arm looped around her chest, careful to stay away from any part deemed inappropriate by his standards. However, his arm was dangerously close to the fake Raven's face and she took advantage of that.

CHOMP!

"Ow! She bit me!" BeastBoy wailed, releasing his grip on her

This proved to be a bad miscalculation on both his and the fake Raven's part. The reason for this was because the moment he let go of her she fell backward, since Robin had her legs. As she fell the floor came closer and closer.

WHAMMO!

There was no further struggling on behalf of the fake Raven after that.

"Raven's so gonna kill us." BeastBoy muttered

"Us? You're the one who dropped her." Robin quipped

"She bit me!" he shot back "And it still hurts!" he wailed, tending to his bite wound

"Try explaining that to Raven."

* * *

"Man, we can't find diddly." Cyborg whined, kicking a nearby rock

"I did not know we were looking for this, 'Diddly'. We he help us help Raven?" Starfire asked

"No I mean...never mind. Let's just head back to the tower. There's nothing here that can help Raven and I'm not to sure about this cave ceiling. Looks like it could go at anytime." he replied

"Okay. I just wish that we could have found some way to help Raven." Starfire replied

"Eh...don't worry about it. Knowing Rae, she probably already found a way so it'll be alright." he said

"I suppose so."

With that the two Titans made their way out of the cave, moving through boulders and rocks on their way to the outside.

"When did you acquire the photos of our pink-haired allies?" Starfire asked as they left

Cyborg groaned loudly.

* * *

"We got her!" called BeastBoy, holding the fake Raven's legs while Robin under her arms

"She is unconscious. Did you not say that she was still awake?" the real Raven asked

"Well, funny thing about that...she fell asleep. All that yell, yeah...yelling." replied BeastBoy sheepishly

"Robin, what happened?" Raven asked, devoid of feeling

"BeastBoy dropped her on her head." he replied

"She bit me!" he countered

"I better not have a concussion when I get back in my body or you'll be the one who gets dropped on his head, on concrete!" she told him through the flames, which had considerably died down

"Right...I'll remember that."

"Robin, hold onto my body because I don't trust a certain shape-shifter with my body's well being." Raven ordered

"Okay."

"BeastBoy, I need you to draw a rather detailed picture on the ground." she said to him

"Why?"

"It is part of the ritual. The diagram won't be as precise as the one the witch used but it will be substantial for swapping back bodies. I cannot do it because I cannot break the transfer of energy, besides, my back really hurts." she told him

"Okay."

"Listen, this will not be easy you two. I am not so fluent in this type of magic and if I don't do this correctly I could end up losing my soul. I will need complete concentration and the utmost accuracy. Robin, my body must not leave the diagram BeastBoy is about to draw. If it does the transfer could be interrupted and our souls lost. BeastBoy, this diagram must be next to perfect in order for this to work correctly. If it isn't the transfer may not work correctly and the transfer may not take place, or even worst, I lose my soul."

"So if we screw up, you loss your soul?" BeastBoy asked

"In a nutshell."

"Okay then, no pressure."

"Alright...let's begin."

* * *

A mind was in deep thought, alone in the darkness. It was once again in a state where it could only think. However, this time it knew that once its strength returned to it, it would be free and it would take its revenge.

* * *

Sorry about the long wait, even though much didn't happen in this chapter. School, other stories, and plain absentmindedness have delayed this story. However, the next chapter and the following ones will be rather long and filled with action so I hope my readers will like them. Once again everyone sorry for the wait.


	11. Changing Back, Preparing for War

This is the beginning of the newest batch of chapters. Expect them to be long, exciting, and quicker in updating. I'll try not to slack off but I can't guarantee that. School also plays a factor in the updates of these chapters, but even so they'll come out a lot quicker than they have. Quick prediction: Expect a table to be thrown.

* * *

Everyone makes a certain prediction of how their life is going to turn out. Some believe they'll be famous while others believe they'll acquire power, and some even believe they'll lead a life of normalcy. However, when you are a Titan, the only thing you can look forward to, are continuous bouts with the unknown and mysterious. To overcome these predicaments you must look within yourself and find the power inside that is usually inaccessible. This power is known as heart. Even though it is not a physical power that exudes triumph or success, it can aid other powers by giving them strength unmatched. The more heart you have, the more powerful you can become and it would take all the heart of a certain girl, trapped in another body to reverse the effect and reclaim what was rightfully hers, the good and the bad. 

"This is it...are you two ready?" asked the old woman sitting in the middle of a room, its mystic energies cascading over her

"As I'll ever be." replied a green boy, his determination to help pushing him forward, even into the farthest reaches of the mystic

A nod was given by the masked vigilante, his unwavering focus and duty to right telling him that this event had to occur, to combat the forces of darkness.

"Okay then...get ready." said the old woman, concentrating every bit of magical energy into herself and the possessed doll in front of her as she could muster

(The next bit of sentences will involve a series of words that I made up out of the top of my head. It is to mimic ancient chants so please do not gut me if a lot of this doesn't make sense. This is all for the story and nothing more)

"_Returnius Natureak Carcessom. Alterous Extradium Psyche. Restoriate Mutualis Realitiam._" the old woman chanted, as she began to stabilize the energies around her

The energy being centralized rushed by BeastBoy and Robin who were busily performing their jobs. BeastBoy took extra precaution to make the pattern he was drawing next to perfect. Luckily he was a rather gifted artist...somewhat, so drawing wasn't too hard. But the pattern he had to draw had to have been the most complicated looking thing he had ever seen in his life. Okay, the second most complicated thing he had ever seen in his life. Once, Starfire had dragged him into the girls department of the clothes store at the mall. Some of those designs were crazy! But this was for Raven so he was not about to screw it up. Robin, the dutiful leader kept his hands on Raven's body making sure that she did not leave the pattern zone. Currently the fake Raven was still...'asleep' but Robin was a person who took no chances. He had his arms locked around her body, making it inconceivable to move without dislocating an arm. To any passer-by it looked as if Robin was...doing things that Starfire would kill him for, but his position was purely business. Besides, he had plenty of other ways he liked to hold Starfire that were far more enjoyable...yeah. As for Raven, the real Raven, this took all the concentration she could muster and then some. She had to be at a near complete state of meditation, pushing aside all distractions. For example, if a bus just happened to plow through the nearby wall she would not have immediately used her powers to throw it at someone, a personal pastime of hers. The girl was that much in a trance! The only acknowledgements of her recognition to the outside world were the magical words she uttered that initiated the spell.

"_Banishesse Fauxium Binariet. Restorius Respectablium Characteristican. Recombinene Reversius Personalte._"

Strangely, the pattern was at near completion and surprising well down. It would only take a few more seconds before the pattern was complete and the spell ready to work. As the spell was being chanted the fake Raven's body and the real Raven's body began to glow, blue and yellow respectively. Feeling a strange sensation the eyes of the fake Raven fluttered open, scanning the occurrence in front of her. Her eyes shot wide open as she realized what the three Titans were trying to attempt and she struggled against the one binding her, yet she could not move, and with the special magical binds on her she couldn't use this body's powers to break free. But the fake Raven refused to return to her old body, she'd rather lose her existence one than go back to that prison. That's when she noticed the pattern on the ground and knew that if she escaped, they would both perish. If she couldn't have this body, nobody would.

"Done!" BeastBoy cheered, confident that the pattern was accurate enough

Breaking off only a minute part of her concentration the real Raven acknowledged the pattern's completion.

"Good...now it would be a good idea to leave the zone. I am not sure how this will go about and I may end up switching the wrong souls if you happen to be inside." the real Raven advised

"Right." he replied, hopping out of the zone

This would be it, the chance she was waiting for. She would not give up this body!

CHOMP!

"Ow!" Robin screeched, but refused to let go as the fake Raven dug her teeth into his skin "I gotta say Raven...you have an excellent set of teeth." he seethed

"Do not let her escape until the spell is at its final stages. By then it will be too late."

STOMP!

"Yeeouch!" he wailed, ignoring the pain in his foot while the fake Raven dug her heel in it

"Almost there." the real Raven informed

BOP!

"Oof!" he grunted, hoping that his nose wasn't broken

"Nearly complete."

"Hurry!" he wailed

KER-RACK!

Well that had did it, not even Robin could ignore the blistering pain of having a foot hit you in a guy's most sensitive area. Luckily, nothing broke. However, the 'attack' threw him off and he stumbled out of the zone, holding his sensitive area. With the Titan's leader immobile at the moment the fake Raven took this as her chance to escape the zone.

Wiggling on the ground the fake Raven made her way to the boundaries of the zone, growing ever closer to escaping. Robin was in no condition to stop her so it was up to BeastBoy to make sure she didn't escape. Turning into a large octopus he reached out with his arms and took hold of the struggling body and when she bit him it was cushioned by the soft flesh of the squid. The tentacle easily slid out of her mouth, a slime coating now in the mouth of Raven.

"Now!" the real Raven commanded and with that BeastBoy did the first thing that came to mind, he threw her, at the real Raven!

"_Banisheam Unos Replacius Otherion!_" the real Raven yelled, her body glowing brightly

"Ah...ah...ah, **_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_** the fake Raven shrieked, filling the tower with her scream of agony

"Yo Robin!" BeastBoy called, over the scream and bright light "Dude, where are you?"

"...over here..." Robin squeaked, barely above a whisper

"**_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_**" the scream continued as the two souls of the females were forcibly taken out of one another

With a fanciful display the souls circled one another before flying back in their respective bodies. The force simply toppled over the witch's body while Raven's body was blown clean across the room, in BeastBoy's direction.

BLAM!

Just as the light dimmed down Cyborg and Starfire barreled into the room after hearing Raven yell, but were instantly blinded by the bright light.

"What is happening?" Starfire asked

"Don't know; try to find the others!" Cyborg told her

Tripping across the room Starfire eventually found Robin, on the ground, his hands over his crotch.

"Robin, are you okay!" she asked

"...no..." he replied meekly

"Come with me!" she said, pulling him toward the door

Eventually the light dimmed down until only the Puppet King doll laid lifeless on the ground, completely drained of all its magical energies.

"B! Rae! Where are ya 'll?" Cyborg called as sight returned to him

"My head...what hit me?" mumbled BeastBoy, his back _in_ the wall

"Rae...B...where...oh." Cyborg muttered, after seeing the predicament of his two friends "Oh, oh, oh!" he squealed

"I have a funny taste in my mouth, I was thrown across a room, and that was a very painful experience but I think I'm back in my original body." thought Raven, slowly opening her eyes

She opened them and looked up, to see that she was in BeastBoy's arms, in an awkward position while BeastBoy was in the wall, in an awkward position.

"Go B go!" Cyborg cheered "Woot, woot, woot!"

"Cyborg...I'll dismantle you!" Raven roared, pushing off from BeastBoy

"Well, I know Rae's back." he chuckled

"Whatever you are thinking, did not happen!" she roared

"Sure Rae."

"Cyborg!"

"Sure." he said "What happened anyway."

"We found a spell to revert my soul back to my body. But the explosion of energy blew everyone across the room." Raven replied

"Okay...but where's the witch?" Cyborg asked

"Right here, fool." a raspy voice said

Sitting atop a strange creature, one that was of pure darkness, and scythes for arms and legs the witch sneered at the Titans, her eyes glowing menacingly. Cyborg instantly put up his sonic cannon while Raven summoned her powers, feeling a slight tinge of pleasure as they rushed through her once again.

"I will make you pay, all of you. And the green one..." she trailed off "You will all pay." she repeated

"Not likely." Raven spat

"You're going down ya old coot."

"I have no time for you now." the witch said, and with that her mount took off, charging straight at Cyborg and Raven

The two Titans tried to stop them but they were took quick and darted out of the door, shooting down the hall, and taking leave out of nearby window. Cyborg and Raven got to the window just in time to see the witch and her creature skip across the water.

"We should go after her, make sure she doesn't pull anything else." Raven said, more than ready to give chase

"Later Rae, we got to see if Robin and BeastBoy are all right, or did you forget you plowed him into a wall?"

"Oh...BeastBoy." she mumbled, quickly heading back to the mystical room

When they reentered the room they found that Starfire was busily comforting Robin as he regained the ability to stand. Meanwhile BeastBoy was still in the wall, though he had a slight smile on his face

"What are you smiling about?" Raven asked

"Happy you're back." he replied

"Why?"

"You're my friend." he replied

"Thanks." she said, pulling him out of the wall

"No problem."

POP!

With him out of the wall he preceded to brush himself off. Raven, looking away, saw that he had done a lot to help, even if he had caused her a couple of minor injuries. A reward was in order.

"Do not think anything different about what I am about to do." she told him

"Huh?"

"You heard me." she said "None of you think anything else!" she told them, raising her voice so she knew that everyone heard

"Dude, what _are_ you talking about?" BeastBoy asked

Before he could get another word out Raven took him in her arms and gave him a big hug. Like before, BeastBoy went red and looked at the ceiling. Cyborg snickered and Starfire cooed. Robin jiggled as he regained his balance.

"Thank you for the help."

"No...problem!" he squeaked

"But I will get you for what you did to my body earlier." she told him

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Damn."

Releasing him from the hug BeastBoy cleared his throat, and for the moment took over the leadership roles that Robin meanwhile, couldn't.

"Okay guys, first we gotta clean up this mess, then find that witch. She probably went back to that cave so that's where we'll start looking." he told them

"Yes, oh great leader." Raven quipped

With that the Titans went to the task of cleanup. Meanwhile...

* * *

"Those miserable fools, they dare to challenge me! I will make their ends slow and painful! They will rue the day they crossed paths with me!" the witch yelled, filling the empty caverns with her loud voice, "They will wish death upon them by the time I am finished and oblivion will be their only comfort!" she ranted 

The cave was crawling with the strange darkness creatures, each scurrying around the witch, their master. When she moved they moved, and when she stopped they stop; completely loyal to her.

"However, attacking them would prove ill-conceived. I do not have the endurance to handle them, however..."

Walking over to a large mirror, with a placeholder that would make a man wet himself she looked into the mirror, spying on the Titans. From the looks of it they were cleaning up the tower. She closely zoomed in on BeastBoy as he cleaned up what was left of the remote, a sad look on his face for the passing of such a wonderful device.

"This boy...his power, his spirit...intriguing." she said "If I am to acquire him, I will need more power and strength and there is only one way to go about that."

The strange creatures started to encircle the witch, wrapping her in their darkness.

"I will have him and I will make the rest pay!"

They swarmed all over the old witch, nearly covering her in their darkness.

"I GIVE MY SOUL FOR SUCH POWER!" she roared, completely consumed by the beasts

* * *

"I can't believe ya'll destroyed the remote!" bellowed Cyborg as BeastBoy trashed the broken thing 

"It was Robin's fault, he smashed it." BeastBoy replied

"Why man, why?"

"I was not about to be killed by it." Robin replied

"Hey, that is a sacrifice I am willing to make."

"Just go up to the TV and push the button." Raven told them

"That still isn't funny Raven."

"You...I...it...grrr!" she growled, giving up on a hopeless cause

"Friends, we will just purchase a new remote." Starfire replied

"Besides, we do not have time to watch television. We have a dangerous criminal to apprehend." Robin informed them

"What could that old witch possible do now?" Cyborg asked "She ain't crazy enough to pull anything on us now. Raven said it herself, she's not strong enough."

"Doesn't matter. She endangered a member of the team and she needs to go to jail for that." Robin said

"Okay man, after we get something to eat, I'm starving." Cyborg said

With that he was in the kitchen making him something to eat.

* * *

Taken over by the darkness the mirror feed her, changing her forever more. Her soul did not belong to her anymore but the demon that resided in the mirror she drew power from. An army quickly formed around her, growing in strength as she drew more power from the mirror. The demon smiled as its newest creation used the hate and lust that had grown within her heart turn her into the ultimate warrior. The new creature would find that boy, convert him, and then make him hers. Then she would destroy all in her path, including the Halfling. Nothing would stop her and all would fall. However, she did not count on a few new factors that would soon arise. The triad of power would soon be awakened. The Earth, the Sky, and the Wind. Gods would be in the forms of commoners and heroes would rise to do battle with the forces of darkness, some even coming from the grips of darkness themselves. Truly the world would need these heroes and these heroes would soon realize their value. However, having fun with one of the heroes is a pastime of fate and this hero would have a lot of problems to deal with. Girls. 

"Dude! You can't eat any meat, what about the dinner I made?" BeastBoy wailed, watching as Cyborg dumped some meat on a skillet

"Hey! You tricked me; you didn't tell me that that stuff was tofu!" Cyborg shot back, disregarding his green teammate

"You never asked! 'Sides, you said you liked it!"

"Hey! I may have, but it doesn't mean you can push you crazy tofu concoctions onto me. I like meat and that's that!"

"Oh come on you two, just shut up." Raven intervened, carefully looking over herself

"Raven, you're back in your body. Why you still checking yourself out?" Cyborg asked

"BeastBoy and Robin..." she said scornfully

Both boys gulped respectively.

"They didn't handle my body with great care and I am making sure that there are any permanent bruises." she replied

"Well Raven, your body wasn't exactly willing to just give up. We tried to keep the violence to a minimum but we had to protect ourselves."

"Whatever." she muttered "Next time, watch yourselves or you'll know what it feels like to have the back of your head hit the floor."

"Remember, BeastBoy did it." Robin informed

"Thanks dude."

"Look, can we just go and locate that witch. I have a bone to pick with her." Raven said, aggravated

"Geeze Raven, never seen ya so gun-hoe about fighting." BeastBoy commented

"Have you ever had your body switch with someone else?" Raven asked

"I have!" chimed Starfire from behind the counter

Raven glared at her and Starfire quickly hid back behind it.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch Raven. We'll get her, right after some lunch. Can't fight on an empty stomach." Cyborg said

"He has a point Raven." Robin replied, his own belly growling

"Yeah dude, gotta eat." replied BeastBoy

"Without food then your body will have no energy." came Starfire

"I suppose." Raven said, defeated, seeing as food outweighed vengeance

With that Raven joined her friends for lunch.

* * *

"We shall sweep the lands and smite all that may stand in our way!" a thunderous female voice announced 

A roar of insectoid voices filled the cavern.

"Nothing will stop us and we shall rule! Our power will crush anyone foolish enough to oppose us!"

Another roar filled the cavern.

"And vengeance shall be ours as our foes cower before us, begging for their pitiful lives before we end them!"

The roaring had grown intense, nearly nullifying any other sound, but the woman continued

"We will attack for land, sea, and air, leaving no room for our enemies to escape! We shall swarm and we shall CONQUER!" she bellowed and with that the cave erupted in such a symphony of insectoid roaring that any normal person would have gone death

"Then go forward my warriors and let nothing stop you from realizing our glories conquest!" she commanded and the strange creatures of darkness flooded out of the cave, making their slow march to Jump City

* * *

"Whoo boy! Now that was lunch!" a certain metal man exclaimed 

"Maybe for you. I however didn't stuff myself." replied Raven

"Well a guy's got to eat."

"There is a difference between a healthy appetite and gluttony." she replied "Take BeastBoy for example. He likes to eat but he's no pig...figuratively speaking."

"Thanks Raven...I think."

"Okay team, now that we've eaten, it's time to put an end to this mission, once and for all."

"Good. Let's find that witch." Raven said, exuding a slight case of eagerness

"Actually ya'll, we may not have to." Cyborg replied

"What do you mean friend?" Starfire asked

"My long range scanners just picked up a lot of movement. I mean A LOT of movement."

Robin was already at the computers.

"Here's a satellite picture of what Cyborg may be picking up." Robin said

Looking at the main screen the Titans watched as the satellite zoomed in on Jump City, then a specific region outside of the City, and then further until all they saw was a black wave moving across the plains.

"What is that?" BeastBoy asked

"Those creatures, like the one the witch escaped on." Raven replied

"There are so many." Starfire commented

"No kidding...wait a sec, whose that in the middle?" Cyborg wondered

Zooming in the Titans saw a strange female like creature. Her shape was that of a human but her body was like that of the creatures that surrounded her. Whoever it was looked positively devilish, a look of pure sin on her face.

"You don't think?" Cyborg began

"She did say she wouldn't retain her original body. Didn't think she'd go this far." Raven replied

Then, as if she noticed something was watching her the witch looked in the general direction of the screen. Then with a simple look the picture went out.

"I lost the signal." Robin said

"I'm getting something." came Cyborg "The satellite, its falling out of orbit. It'll break up before it lands though."

"You don't think?" BeastBoy began

"We are not dealing with an ordinary villain. I believe it would be best to request for an evacuation of the city." Raven proposed

"I believe you're right."

* * *

Soon, he would have the strength to free himself. Very soon, but he may as well take his time. Someone was about to make his job a lot easier.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the phone with the mayor, Robin relayed to the mayor the best course of action. 

"Yes...yes, I know this is sudden but it would be in the people's best interest." he said "Do not worry, we can handle this but the city is about to be turned into a war zone and we do not want people to be caught in the cross fire." he replied "Yes...yes, we will try to keep damage to a minimum but we can't be too careful." There was a pause, "Thank you, thank you. Don't worry the Titans _will_ stop this."

After a few more moments the phone was hung up.

"So, what is happening?" Raven asked

"Well surprisingly the mayor agreed. It won't be an instant thing but the police are going to start the evacuation. They won't evacuate the prison, for obvious reasons, but a great deal of the citizens will be out of the city by the hour."

"So, how long do we have before the invasion arrives?"

"Cyborg calculated an hour and fifteen minutes. But we should be able to elongate that time with a little help from some unmanned dune buggies, filled with explosives."

"So...think we have a chance at winning."

"I don't think; I know we'll win."

"Pretty confident for such opposing odds."

"It's good to always keep a positive attitude about things."

"Did you happen to get that from reading greeting cards?" Raven asked

"Yes, actually I did." Robin replied

* * *

"My victory will be sweet and swift. Nothing can stop me. Nothing. And my prize will kneel before me in complete servitude." the dark woman said 

Images of her 'slave boy' doing her beckoning (in only a cod piece) flooded her dark mind. Not many clothes donned the body of the green boy she thought of as interesting.

"I will enjoy that **_very_** much." she purred in pleasure

However, her fantasies were soon interrupted by the sounds of motorized vehicles. One dozen computer-controlled dune buggies bounced along the large, desert like plains in a single-minded quest of intercepting the dark army.

"What manner of trickery is this? There is no one manning these self-propelled mounts. Are they that frightened of my power that they attack me in such a way? Those fools, I'll make sure they suffer for this disrespect." the woman said "Ravage those things!" she ordered, and her army closed in on the dune buggies.

"To truly believe they could frighten me with such a ruse. They are nothing." the woman muttered

As the army swarmed on the dune buggies they triggered a switch in a little box in the front seat. With this trigger came a series of explosions that didn't do much to hurt the ranks of the army, but it did cause mass hysteria among it. The strange insectoid creatures went insane, running around in circles, panicking as they thought more mysterious explosions would take them. In the panic the woman was engulfed by a great amount of her soldiers as they lost all rationality for the moment. Meanwhile...

"Looks as if the planned worked." Raven replied

"Well, for now at least."

"How long do ya think it'll last?" Cyborg asked

"Well, that depends on how good of a leader that witch is." he replied "With that said we should use this time we have wisely and continue to prepare for their arrival." he advised "Did you call the Titan's East?" Robin asked

"Already on their way man." Cyborg replied

"Good, since they are the closest Titans we're going to need their help with this one."

"No kidding."

"How is the evacuations going Star?" Robin asked, speaking into his communicator

From high in the skies Starfire reported the progress of the evacuation.

"Things are going very well Robin. There are a few disturbances but the police can handle it." she replied "I am just glad that the innocent will not be hurt." she added

Switching to another frequency Robin contacted BeastBoy.

"BeastBoy, how are our little 'surprises' coming along?" he asked

"Fine as rain dude. They won't know what hit them."

"Good. Keep at it and if the army should get to close get back here whether you're finished or not." Robin informed

"Gotcha."

"This is gonna be a messy one." commented Cyborg

"Aren't they all?" Raven quipped

"Guess you're right."

"Don't worry team, we'll get through this. It's only an immense large army with the single-minded quest of destroying everything in its path. Nothing that we haven't handled before."

"But dog, it's also a woman who's been scorn. You know, that's worst than even an army twice that size."

* * *

She had heard of this 'evacuation', and had even seen the amber-skinned alien patrolling to skies to help escort any stragglers. But she couldn't let herself be discovered, so hiding in the sewer was her best bet. But she wondered why the city was evacuating. Whatever the reason it had to be a big one. 

"Is it something the Titans couldn't handle?" the blonde-haired woman wondered

If it was she couldn't just leave. She had to help...even if it meant that a certain boy would discover her.

* * *

This madness had to stop. This was her army, not a gaggle of scum. This was her ultimate weapon, not a child's play thing. This was her vengeance, not a complete waste of space! 

"**_ENOUGH!_**" she boomed, her threatening voice echoing across the plains

Her army instantly quelled, staring wide-eyed at their fuming leader.

"YOU WILL OBEY ME OR YOU WILL PERISH IN UNTOLD AMOUNTS OF PAIN! NOW...**_FORWARD!_**" she screeched and the army regrouped

With her invasion back on track she took a seat upon one of her subjects, put her hand to her chin and started to cackled loudly.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

* * *

"We've got a problem." came Raven, looking at the main screen 

"They've regrouped, faster than I thought." Robin said

"Well then, looks like it's time to fight."

"Looks like they're gonna pass the tower completely and head for the city directly."

"Why?"

"Couldn't say. But we should take this opportunity and use their miscalculation to our advantage." Robin said "Cyborg, take the defense cannons and take a vantage point on top of the tower. Give us some cover fire." Robin ordered

"Right."

Switching to his communicator he signaled Starfire.

"Star, how's the evacuation?"

"It is nearly complete. Many of the citizens are far enough from the coast to not be injured."

"Good, stay in the skies and attack from above. Don't come in too low until I tell you."

"Right Robin."

Then he switched to BeastBoy.

"BeastBoy, are you done?"

"Just about."

"Well forget it; the army is on its way, faster than ever. They'll be on top of you in a few minutes." Robin told him

"Gotcha. What do you want me to do?" he asked

"Meet up with Raven and myself. We're going to the front lines." he told him "Here's the coordinates."

"Alright, be there quicker than a jackrabbit on fire." he said, signing off

"Ready Raven?" Robin asked

"As I'll ever be."

"Alright Titans, we're at war!"

* * *

This was it. The battle would soon start. The forces of good against evil, Light vs. Dark, Virtue battling against despair. The outcome...well, the outcome is for you to decide. Who will win? Will the Titans fall or will they prevail? Will they be the light that penetrates the darkness or will they be consumed by it? Many forces are acting against the Titans and it seems as if they could never win. But help can come from all around, even the most unlikely sources. But tell me... (Devious smile), do you believe?

* * *

And that's it for the eleventh chapter. Hope you like it and see the exciting battle that is about to take place. 


	12. Let the War, BEGIN!

First and foremost I would like to give a big thanks to SilentRainFalls for giving me the inspiration to continue with this story. I had been so caught up in school and other stories I had almost forgotten that this story existed. If it weren't for the reminder I might have neglected the story even longer. So once again, thanks SilentRainFalls for your reminder. Now, for the chapter itself; this is gonna be a long one, filled with action, suspense, and a twist. And like said from the previous chapter, expect a table to be thrown. PS: I'm going to call the strange monster things "Insectoids" because they remind me of insects. I just don't want to have to say 'beasts' or 'creatures' or 'monsters' the whole time. Beside, funny looking things like these deserve a name.

* * *

Have you ever had that funny feeling? The 'calm before the storm' type of feeling. That feeling of dread, but anxiousness that comes right before something really big is about to happen. Like that math test you've been studying for. You've been studying for a whole week, you made flashcards, and footnotes to reference pages, and memorized every equation in the book, but still you think you could have done more. Everything around you may seem fine and uneventful but your mind is going crazy, wondering if you'll pass this test or not. Have you ever had that kind of feeling, because at this very moment, Robin and the other Titans were having that same feeling? Being on the battlefield, staring death in the eye and standing tall could seriously take a toll on a person, pushing every amount of courage you had. Not to boldly go where no man has gone before…to boldly go into battle but to do something you knew you had to do because it was right. But even with that notion Robin still felt that this was an overwhelming battle. It was too unpredictable, anything could happen. For example, why didn't the army go attack the tower? Was this a ploy by the enemy? Was the enemy hiding something? What happened to the witch? Why was she different? Did she gain new powers? And if so, what were they and what could they do? Was this truly the size of the army? If it wasn't, where was the rest of the army? Was it lying in wait; ready to strike at a moments notice. These were all questions that a good leader would ask themselves. However a good leader would also never doubt themselves and do what they could do in order to prevail. Robin didn't like the odds, not at all, but he knew he couldn't run; he had to fight. The wave of darkness soon began its approach on the city, making its way toward the bridge that connected the city to the outside world. It was as if a shadow was slowly creeping along the bridge, engulfing it in darkness. But the pitter-patter of little scythe-like feet could be heard; being that it was amplified by all the movement. The destruction would begin soon. But the good thing was that the bridge would be intact, seeing as that was the only way to get to the city. The enemy wouldn't risk destroying it. The Titans couldn't risk that either but that didn't mean they couldn't have some fun with it.

"BeastBoy, are they ready?" Robin asked

"Not all of them, but I guess when the first one's go off the rest will follow." BeastBoy replied

"Good, after they go off we'll go in and take out as many as we can in the confusion. When there are any signs of regrouping we'll retreat to the second stand-by point." Robin said to them both

"Alright." BeastBoy replied

"Will do." came Raven

Switching to his communicator Robin contacted Cyborg.

"Cyborg, come in, do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear."

"Listen, do not attack the army while they are on the bridge, wait until they hit the small clearing just before the city, they'll be vulnerable there; no place to take cover."

"Alright, but what about ya'll. Don't want to hit you by accident."

"We'll be okay, just fire the moment they are in that clearing." Robin ordered

"Right man."

Switching off his communicator Robin went back to his small band.

"Okay guys, this is it. You sure you are ready?"

"If we weren't, do you think we would be here?" Raven quipped

"I'm _so_ ready for this." BeastBoy said, his hand shaking erratically

"That hand of yours speaks a differently." Robin said

"Nah, I'm just...excited. _Really_ **excited.**" BeastBoy replied, a wicked grin growing on his face "Dude...I can't **wait** until they get here." he told them

"Well BeastBoy, you'll soon get your wish." Raven replied

The wave of darkness was slowly approaching the site of the traps that BeastBoy had laid down. They grew closer...and closer...and closer...

"This is it." Robin mumbled

Robin's muscles tensed up as he gripped both his Bo-Staff in his left hand and four highly explosive electro-disks, in his right. Robin was taking no chances in this battle. The Bo-Staff he chose had been constructed from the same material as his cape; making it lighter and harder. This was a deadly weapon in the hands of an expert and Robin was most certainly one. As for his electro-disks they were a special brand, compacted tightly with electrons, making it a powerful, if not unstable, weapon. One false move could blow his hand off. A little too much pressure or a miss-throw would result in a lost limb. Although Robin was not deterred; he knew how to use such unpredictable weaponry. Robin wasn't the only one who had taken preparations for this battle. Raven was also ready to fight. Before the battle she had made sure all her emotions were clearly in check, by personally visiting her mind and specifically directing them on the oncoming battle. Though it was a little taxing she would not have to worry about one of her emotions getting the best of her. She would need complete concentration in this battle. A mistake would equal certain demise. Energy slowly began to form around her arms until it was centralized and then focused. In her left hand she brandished a long blade that attached to her forearm and not in her hand like a traditional blade. In her right a shield was focused, much like the sword, attached to her forearm as well. Raven's senses were at peak performance, especially her sixth sense. At the moment it was almost as if she could tell what her opponent was going to do before they did it. Raven did her best to keep her mind and body as fluid as he could. She couldn't afford to tense up like Robin, or to let nature take over, as it seemed in BeastBoy's case. She wasn't sure if he was going to fight like he usually did, or like the animals he could morph into. Raven had never seen BeastBoy like this, the one to denounce a battle if it wasn't for fun or if there was a clear-cut victory at hand. He was by no means a coward but he wasn't a person who enjoyed fighting. But now, that look in his eye, it wasn't exactly BeastBoy, but as if there was a second being that was about to aid him in battle. Raven wasn't sure if this was simple eagerness to go into battle or something more. Whatever it was, Raven would have to make sure he didn't get himself killed.

"Here...they...come." Robin thought, and then the trap sprung itself

From small catapults that littered the edge of the bridge strange spheres were fired into the air. As they flew, a strange gas started to shot forth, creating a very large cloud of smoke. However, this was not smoke, but...sneezing gas, taken from BeastBoy's own supply. The Titans actually thought it was a rather good idea, and by quote from Raven "A far better use for the foolish stuff" the gas was put to use. The Titans weren't sure if the strange things breathed or not, but even if they didn't it would make a decent cover for the three.

"Titans, Go!" Robin cried, donning a protective gas mask

A make-shift gas mask formed over Raven's face due to her powers while the BeastBoy didn't need one, being that he was unaffected by the gas; after being subjected to it on numerous occasions.

"Ahh!" they all yelled as they charged forth, head first into the fray

Fate must have been shining down at the Titans because they were very fortunate that, not only could the strange creatures breathe, but the gas had an immediate effect. It couldn't be said if the beasts were sneezing but they sure were gasping for air and flopping around like fish out of water.

"_Now_ what is the delay? What is this strange gas that my warriors are being affected by?" the witch wondered while observing the front lines

Sight was reduced to near nothingness from her distance but the sounds of her soldiers falling in battle we more than recognizable.

"My, my. They are resourceful little pests. But no matter, they will soon fall."

Meanwhile, in the large cloud of sneezing gas the three Titans were going to work on a small band of the creatures. Robin came full circle with a devastating swing that took out a bunch that had him surrounded. Those caught in the attack, but not immediately defeated, were thrown over the bridge to drown; being that they had no fins or gills. Hardly without thinking, Robin threw one of his four electro-disks, which were currently in his hand. The first made contact with one of the beasts, completely ripping it apart until there was nothing left but ashes... The explosion stunned the surrounding Insectoids, giving Robin plenty of time to throw his second. This time the explosion moved in a chain like pattern, blowing a hole through the initial target and then the next right behind it and the next; taking out five Insectoids before it lost power. Each fell in a single-filed line. Twirling to the left Robin spun his Bo-staff, taking the head off of an enemy in front of him. With the obstruction out of the way Robin threw his third electro-disk, which surprisingly missed. However, hitting a target was not his true intention. The electro-disk was actually timed and within a few more seconds it went off, in the middle of a group of Insectoids. The force of the blast actually took them out before the real explosion ever hit them, which took them out in smoldering balls of flames. Thrusting his Bo-staff forward her pierced the chest of one of the Insectoids before slamming it and his Bo-Staff into another one. Then he threw his last electro-disk, with all his might. The disk screamed through the air until it scraped against the ground, causing it to explode. The explosion created a wave of destruction that took out a great many Insectoids.

"SKRREEEEEEEEEEE!" they cried as they were blown asunder

However, even with that display of power, the Insectoids continued to come, like a never ending stream of darkness. Then through that darkness came another darkness, a darkness devoted to good; Raven's darkness. With a single slash she tore through five Insectoids, pieces of their bodies flying in all directions as they fell. Without skipping a beat she went to her next target, impaling it with her dark energies. The body flailed about wildly in pain before it went limp, its cries soon coming to an end. Discarding the defeated creature Raven attacked the next, slashing it in half from top to bottom. Just as she did that another Insectoid jumped at her, claws extended. Immediately she put her shield up to repel and blocked the deadly attack; countering with her blade, slashing the beast in half at waist level. As its top half fell, it watched as Raven wasted no time attacking more of its brethren, her precise and deadly attacks tearing through their mass numbers. Two Insectoids came at her, thinking that by teaming up they would have the upper hand.

SLASH! SLASH!

Time seemed to stand still as the bodies of the Insectoids registered the attack. Before they knew what hit them they fell, destroyed by Raven's rapid strikes. Then a huge group of Insectoids jumped her, all surrounding her in a wave of darkness. Unable to escape Raven did the only logical thing she could do. She retracted her blade and created dark knives in her hands, flinging them out at the approaching Insectoids. The blasts of energy tore through them, taking them out before they could get close.

"SKRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" they cried as they were torn asunder

In the very center of the battle was BeastBoy, his rapid transformations confusing and deadly to the enemy. One moment he was a velociraptor, tearing an Insectoid to pieces with its might jaws. Next he was a tiny squirrel, aptly dodging enemies as they attacked him, causing their own deadly attacks to hit one another. Then a gorilla, its immense strength overpowering countless Insectoids, crushing them under its mighty arms. And even though it you couldn't tell BeastBoy had grown very excited, devastating the Insectoids as he was. It was as if something inside him had brought the animal out in him, guiding him in the destruction of these dark creatures. They were no match for his animal ferocity and fell under it. Right after trampling two of them in the form of a rhinoceros he morphed into a Boa Python and crushed the life out of another. Before other Insectoids could counter he morphed into a Pelican Falcon and took flight, its speed over taking them. He took to the skies, flying higher and higher until he did a flip in the air and plummeted down, increasing drastically in speed. When he was at the desired speed he morphed into a Tyrannosaurus Rex and crushed a group of Insectoids under his great weight. A whip of his tail and a few more met their demise.

**_RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_**

His mighty roar blew a few Insectoids of their feet, giving him the time to devastate them. Taking one in his ferocious jaws he snapped his neck, flinging the thing into the sky. When it finally landed it splattered on the ground, taking another Insectoid with it. Then he morphed into a wolf before they overwhelmed him and sunk his fangs into the neck of a nearby enemy. While it tried the fight him off the others watched this brutally display, hesitant to attack him as they saw just of merciless he could be, tearing at the Insectoids neck in that fashion. With the creature's final breath it cried out as BeastBoy brought it down.

"SKRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

* * *

"They have prepared for this attack. But they cannot hold off my forces for long. This fight is hopeless." said the witch, watching as the gas started to dissipate

Without the infliction of the sneezing gas the Insectoid began to become more organized with their attacks and it came to the time to retreat for the Titans.

"BeastBoy, Raven, we're moving out!" called Robin

Raven turned from impaling a nearby Insectoid to acknowledge her leader while BeastBoy finished trampling one in the form of a horse after hearing him.

"BeastBoy, clear of a way!" Robin ordered

With a nod BeastBoy morphed into a Woolly Mammoth and charged through a crowd of Insectoids, sending them in all directions as he cleared a path off the bridge. Raven and Robin quickly followed, picking off any stragglers in their way. Meanwhile Cyborg was preparing to fire the long range sonic cannon. He had developed it for tower defense, but it could be used for an offensive strike as well, it just needed a little recalibration. Now, with sights set on the army Cyborg waited. Robin's orders were to fire when the Insectoids made it to the clearing but Cyborg couldn't fire, knowing his friends could be caught in his sights. But the enemy was getting close. He just hoped the others would be out of their before he had to fire.

"Where are ya'll...come on, where are...there!" he squealed, focusing on a green Woolly Mammoth

Upon closer inspection he saw a cloaked female and a masked man running along side the Mammoth.

"Good ya'll, almost there. Just a little closer and then it's on." Cyborg said, charging up the cannon

The Insectoids followed the fleeing Titans with a passion; every few moments one would jump at them to try and take them down but the three easily defeated the bold ones. The Titans were drawing ever closer to the clearing, just after the bridge, with the Insectoids right at their heels. Meanwhile Cyborg focused the cannon sights on that very clearing, ready to fire when he saw the dark of their hides (Yes, a poor excuse at comedy). The cannon hummed with power, as if it were anxious to fire and decimate the small army. It's low, mystifying glow, masking its true destructive capabilities. It seeped with power, hungry to unleash itself on the Insectoids, to rip them apart; and if on quo, the army made it to the small clearing. Pulling the trigger the cannon raised its power to the desired levels before letting loose a thunderous blast of sonic energy on the unsuspecting army!

"Skree?" screeched one of the Insectoids looking up before it was completely eradicated by a stream of sonic energy, along with a good ten others like it

"Booya! Direct hit!" cheered Cyborg as he charged up the cannon for another blast

"What was that!" screeched the witch, watching as the front of her army was being obliterated right in front of her

That's when she noticed where the beams of sonic energy were originating from.

"So they have devised some way to attack my creatures from the safety of their pathetic dwelling." she muttered "However, they do not realize that their tower shall soon fall." she said

While Cyborg systematically went to the task of attacking the army something dark and ominous moved through the water quickly and silently. If one were to look at this from the surface it would seem as if oil was moving toward the tower, but under the water revealed a fleet of underwater Insectoids that vaguely resembled amphibious sharks. These strange adaptations moved swiftly and silently toward the island, cutting through the water like blades and it was not until they hit the island did Cyborg's sensors kick in, indicating that there were intruders.

"What the...crap." Cyborg muttered as he looked off the side of the tower

The automatic defense systems quickly went to work on the amphibious Insectoids but because of their sheer numbers they easily began to overwhelm the defenses and made their way to the tower.

"Star, ya hear me? Gonna need a little backup. Those things had a second wave and are attacking the tower. Star?" he called into his arm

"I am sorry friend but my hands are bound at the moment." she replied "I have intercepted an aerial patrol of these strange creatures and the size is quite intimidating." she said

Yes, it was true, high above the clouds; Insectoids that resembled giant Rhino Beetles had Starfire in hot pursuit. It looked as if a dark blanket was flying as one in the sky, all going after the one alien.

"Haa!" she yelled, unleashing a wave of Starbolts that took down flying Insectoid after flying Insectoid, but they continued to pursue her

Meanwhile, the ground forces were still chasing the Titans and Robin had noticed that Cyborg had stopped firing. Quickly switching to his communicator he brought up the mechanical Titan.

"Cyborg, what's going on? Why'd you stop firing?" he asked

"Got a problem man, the guys ya'll are fighting ain't the only guys fighting." he said

"There's more?"

"Yeah, there're some water ones attacking the tower and Star's got her hands full with some flying in the sky."

"No way!"

"I know, that witch was prepared, this is not gonna be easy." Cyborg said

"Keep me posted." he told Cyborg before cutting off the signal

"We have a problem." Robin said, after the Titans took refuge behind a large truck

"What kind of problem?" Raven asked

"The situation has changed drastically. We have aerial and water-based enemies overwhelming the tower and the city, along with the land-based ones following us now." he replied

"Great." she muttered

"Just means more of them to smash." BeastBoy replied

"We need to stall until the Titans East get here." Robin said, let's split up and divide their forces. It should be easier to handle them then." Robin replied

Raven and BeastBoy nodded their heads in approval before all three took off in different directions, just as the Insectoids plowed their way through the truck the Titans had been hiding behind.

* * *

She had watched the strange monsters approach the city and the Titans fight them on the bridge, but she didn't know just how many of these things there were until she looked at the tower and the skies. It was as if a dark plague was sweeping over the city. There were just so many of them, more than anyone could count. She should have left, long before the army approached, but she didn't, she stayed and soon she would have to fight, whether she wanted to or not.

"Or maybe, I won't after all." she thought

She knew that there was a very good chance this wouldn't work, but she would take it. She didn't want to chance fighting directly, but maybe she could pull off fighting on the sidelines where nobody could see her. She would try at least, even if the odds of her keeping herself concealed were against her. The ground slowly eroded beneath her and she sank down into it; quickly and quietly. Meanwhile Robin was busily leading the Insectoids around, taking out some every few moments. But their numbers were too large for his tactics to be consider any significance, more so an annoyance. But unknown to him his odds were improving slightly. In the mass of the section of the army following him a hand rose up from the ground, latching onto one of the Insectoids. The creature looked down only to be dragged underground in one fell swoop.

"Skree!" it cried before its cries were soon silenced

Another hand popped out and repeated the earlier occurrence, dragging yet another Insectoid six feet under. Before long a systematic series of abductions occurred in the ranks of the Insectoids, as if some underground devil was making quick work of them. Panic started to arise and the Insectoids wondered who would be next, watching as allies right next to one another were quickly dragged underground to their doom. Robin looked back to see mass hysteria among the Insectoids but didn't see why, only hearing the cries of them in the midst of the chaos.

"What is going on?" he thought

With the army currently not chasing him Robin decided to take a breather in an alley way. Clicking on his communicator Robin switched to Starfire's frequency.

"Star? Star, are you okay?" he asked, deeply concerned for her

"Yes Robin, I am, but I will not be able to join you in battle on the ground. There are far too many of these creatures for me to deal with for me to aid you at the moment." she said, unleashing a round of Starbolts behind her

"Okay...just be careful Star." Robin replied

"I will, please be careful as well. I would feel bad should anything happen to you."

"Don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine." he replied, giving her a reaffirming smile

Smiling back Starfire waved goodbye before the communicator cut off. Looking up Robin swore he could hear Starbolt explosions and bright green lights, even against the small cloud cover above him. Still smiling he knew Starfire would be fine, she knew how to take care of herself. Putting his communicator away he looked down the alleyway to observe his current situation. A few blocks down saw that the Insectoids had taken to climbing on the buildings to avoid whatever was causing them to panic, momentarily disregarding his presence. Seeing this as his moment he climbed a fire escape and took to the roofs, his agile acrobatics aiding him in crossing the gaps between buildings, but the Insectoids spotted him and took pursuit. Nevertheless, Robin's abilities aloud him to move across the tops of the buildings with relative ease while the Insectoids had to gauge themselves appropriately to avoid falling, slowing them down considerably in their pursuit of the masked wonder. Meanwhile a certain dark sorceress was also being pursued by Insectoids, but a throng of cars helped to even the odds.

BOOM! BLAM! BANG! KA-BOOM!

Explosions rang up and down the streets as numerous cars were flung at the Insectoids that dared to follow Raven. But those creatures were not of her concern. All she wanted was the witch that had previously taken refuge in her body, but foolishly seeking her out would only get Raven killed so the half-demon decided to bide her time and wait for the proper moment. Careening effortlessly down the streets Raven soon overtook the Insectoids and watched as they did their best to keep up with her, though it was pointless with her speed. She had been leading them around for some time, effectively screwing them up, causing confusion in the ranks, but she was a _long_ way from victory.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthoss." she called, summoning her powers and taking hold of a nearby bus

The bus was soon enveloped by her dark powers and with a swing of her arms she flung the automobile through to air to ram through a large group of Insectoids. Bodies went flying as the bus plowed its way through them, but it eventually was destroyed due to the Insectoids' numbers.

"This is getting pointless." Raven muttered, for it seemed that for every Insectoid she destroyed another two replaced it "I am not gaining any leeway in this battle."

Deciding that taking them on in the fashion that she was, was not working she decided that she would need to take them down in one fell swoop.

"It is risky, but necessary." she thought, increasing in speed so that she blew far ahead of the Insectoids

When at the desired location; a couple of blocks ahead of the Insectoids to took a lotus position in the air and concentrated, focusing herself and her spirit.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthoss." she said calmly, and with that her astral form rose from her body and flew down the street toward the Insectoids

Upon its arrival the Insectoids attacked it, but it easily evaded their strikes with inhuman ease. Then her astral form darted into one of the Insectoids, filling it with her dark energy before flying out of it just as quickly as it had entered. Moments later the Insectoid inflated like a balloon before popping just like one, spewing its dark entrails everywhere. Without a moments notice Raven's astral form quickly repeated the same maneuver on the other Insectoids, moving in and out of their ranks at a speed they couldn't counter or avoid. Left and right Insectoids inflated and then exploded as if a parade of fireworks was going off.

"Skreee!" they cried as their numbers quickly dwindled

After only a few moments the Insectoids were forced to retreat, jumping into alleyways and down intersecting streets in order to escape Raven's astral form. With a nod her astral form sped back up the street to her awaiting body where it slowly re-fused itself with her physical form.

"Well that was..." she began but stopped abruptly

Her sight started to get blurry and her arms shook. Her legs buckled and she fell to the ground before she realized what happened. As she lay on the ground she silently began to curse herself for over-exhorting her concentration to deliver such an offense.

"Can barely move...pushed myself too hard; too fast." she muttered, trying to get her footing

Gradually she was able to pick herself up but her vision was still very burry and she couldn't stop herself from shaking. But she continued toward the center of the city, even with her pounding headache and weakened body.

* * *

Deep, deep down in a cave, far away from the current battle, a lone figure arose from the tomb it had been buried in, shaking off rocks from its body. With a grunt it preceded pick itself up and crack its bones, stretching itself out due to be so immobile for so long. With a big yawn it stretched its entire body out, making sure to get all the kinks out; not wanting to pull anything before he made his way out of the cave.

"Hmm, it has seemed that the battle has started without me." he said "How rude. I believe I will have to intervene." he said, slithering his way through the cave

The Titans thought they had finished him off, to rot in this cave, but he had yet to be defeated and was now on the war path. First and foremost however he was very hungry so he would find something to eat. When he reached the outside he took in a big whiff of fresh air and smiled, it felt great to be free.

"I have not had anything to eat for such a long time. I am famished." he thought "Now to find something to dine on."

Making his way down the cliff the cave perched on he explored the land, looking for something to feast on and soon he smelled something that lit his senses up like a flare. Following the scent he soon discovered that the delicious smell was coming from a nearby farm, but it seemed to be deserted with only a bunch of cows as its only residents.

"Hmm..." he mumbled, slowly creeping up to his prey

Happily munching grass the cows never realized that they were being stalked until it was far too late and their stalker pounced.

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the cow mooed before it was taken down, along with others

A few moments later the only thing left of ten cows was a small bone yard created in the middle of the farm. With his belly satisfied the being decided to go and wet his whistle after such a large meal. Luckily there was a small duck pond nearby filled with fresh water. The ducks scattered when they saw him and without hesitating he plunged his head into the water, taking huge gulps of water to quench his mighty thirst.

(Glug, glug, glug, gulp)

"Ahh! How refreshing that was!" she said, a bright smile on his face as he pulled it out of the water "I feel revitalized!" he roared, unable to control his happiness "The feeling to be free, this feeling, it is indescribable, almost more than I can take!" he cheered "And I will let no man, woman, or beast entrap me again!" he bellowed, stretching his body out once more just to experience the feeling

Looking around he wondered why all the people had left, but seeing the tracks left by the Insectoids he put two and two together and surprisingly got four.

"So they believe they can stop her. I must say they are admirable if not foolish. That witch commands powers far beyond that of normal means. But the witch is not my concern. I will deal with her at a later time; those Titans are what I am concerned about. I must defeat them to insure that I am not imprisoned again." he said "I will take care of _her_ first, and then I will deal with the others." he said "Now where are you?" he wondered, closing his eyes and concentrating

Searching for her specific essence he concentrated on the city and before long he felt her, making her way through the city.

"There she is, and how fortunate for me that she was been weakened considerably. This will make the battle all the more effortless." he pondered

Taking his leave of the farm he made his way toward the city to destroy the one person that could imprison him again.

* * *

Cyborg was not like this, not one bit. He had big shark like bugs attacking his tower and the others were nowhere near to help him. Luckily he had his cybernetic enhancements, his sonic cannon, and his 3000 B.C. blade he got from Sarasim.

"Sarasim, even though you're not here you're still helping me in battle." he thought, hacking away at the Insectoids on his right with his blade while blasting away the Insectoids on his left with his sonic cannon, "Come on, show Cy whatcha got!" he cried, devastating the enemy around him

He impaled an Insectoid in front of him, disfiguring its face in the process, and then he swung his sword with the creature still on it, bashing it into another one, watching as it splattered on impact. Then he blew a hole through the body of another one and it looked down to see through itself before it fell over dead. Retracting his blaster for the moment he took hold of a nearby Insectoid by its fin and flung it up in the air. While it was airborne he clobbered another one, making it a decorative smear on his fist. One tried to get him from behind but he shoved his foot into it, creaming it on contact. When the Insectoid he threw was at the peak of its flight Cyborg stomped another into the ground while slashing yet another with his blade. While the thrown Insectoid descended he took out seven Insectoids in a single slash and then reverted his left hand back to the sonic cannon and fire, just catching the one he threw, blasting it into a row of Insectoids; completely demolishing them.

"Cyborg's hot today!" he cheered as he continued his onslaught with glee

But in his excitement he wasn't watching his back and one happened to catch him, completely smothering him. Before he could knock it off of him more Insectoids joined the party and started to cover him, not caring that doing that actually didn't hurt him. But their combined weight kept him from moving and they would have eventually crushed him. Fortunately for him sonic blasts from above blew the Insectoids off of him.

"Titans East, Go!" he heard a female call

From above came Bumblebee, leader of the Titans East dropped out of their T-Ship. Behind her were Speedy and Más and Ménos. Coming up to the tower by sea was Aqualad and Tram, who inflated his body to give off the appearance of muscles.

"Yo Sparky, why don't ya cool down before ya overheat." Bumblebee told him

"Hi Bee." he said less than enthusiastic, slashing Insectoids away "Took ya'll long enough to get here."

"Well sorry, we didn't wake up this morning expecting to fight a war." she said "'Sides, better late than never."

"Guess so. Hey, can ya go help out Star?" he asked "She's high in the sky with some of these things chasing her, she could use the help."

"Gotcha Sparky." she said, taking off

"And stop calling me Sparky!" he yelled, but she ignored him, then he turned to Tram "Yo Tram, I got a cannon on top of the tower that is just begging for you to man it. You up to it?" Cyborg asked

In a strange language Tram replied whole-heartedly and ran into the tower. Then Cyborg turned back to the battle."

"Alright guys, time to get busy." he said, charging his sonic cannon

A swirl of water collected around Aqualad's head while an arrow began to glow in Speedy's hands. Más and Ménos stood ready while the Insectoids closed in. Just before they attacked Cyborg cried out.

"Titans, Go!" and the battle was on

* * *

And that, my readers of fanfiction is the next chapter coming to a close. Hope you like it. Hope it didn't take to long to come out. Exams are next week and this week I've had to study my butt off to be prepared. Anyway this is for you. Enjoy.


	13. Pure and Utter Chaos

And this is the next chapter of my story. I think you'll like this one and hate me at the end. And no worries…at some time or another, a table _will_ be thrown. Just don't know when.

* * *

The streets were chaos, pure and utter chaos. Nothing else could describe the scene in the streets of the city. Insectoids covered the streets like a plague, some defeated, while the majority where on a search for the Titans. Many cars had puncture holes from being trampled on by the horde of Insectoids as they single-mindedly quested for their enemy. From the sky, flying Insectoids could be seen falling, some with green burn wounds and others cackling with electrical energy as they fell. Loud explosions could be heard from all levels of the city; above it, in it, and below it. Amidst the chaos a lone figure walked the streets, looking for one person. This being resembled the Insectoids but had the figure of a female. Her body draped in rag-tag clothing that seriously clashed with her slender figure. A wicked smile adorned her face and her knuckles cracked occasionally, ready for some sort of fight.

"Ah…the chaos, such music to my ears." The witch hummed, looking at all the devastation her army had created "But who would have guessed that these fools have so many allies. They are actually posing a threat." She said to herself "I believe I will have to deal with them myself, to assure my victory." She said

Closing her soulless eyes the witch used a strange form of telepathy to try and determine the location of the Titans.

"Some of those cretins are at that pathetic excuse for a tower, battling my minions." She murmured "Another two are in the skies, locked in combat with more of my forces." Concentrating harder she searched for the Titans currently in the city. "Ah ha!" she silently cheered "There is the green one…but where is that leader and the half-demon?" she wondered

Upon closer observation she soon discovered them but then her senses locked onto yet another mind that was currently in the city.

"Who is this?" she wondered "This strange individual who commands such power. Her telepathic powers are almost as strong as the half-demon's. I almost did not notice her." The witch thought, "She has masked her presence quite well. However, I wonder who she is. She seems to be hiding herself from all forms of mental telepathy. I doubt the half-demon has sensed her." She said "So, if she is not with those despicable Titans, then what _is_ she doing here?" the witch wondered

While the witch pondered this thought, the side of a nearby building collapsed, sending glass, bricks, and other debris hurtling toward her. Looking up the witch happened to notice the debris falling toward her and with a wave of her hand stopped it with strange magical powers, throwing it away as effortlessly as throwing paper.

"No matter." She thought "I will deal with this girl as soon as I have dealt with the Titans." She said, continuing her venture down the street

Meanwhile, further into the city, a green changeling was having his own battles with numerous Insectoids. In the form of a large wolf the changeling growled and snapped at the surrounding Insectoids, daring any to act bold and attack. The Insectoids countered with varying degrees of hissing, trying to goat the changeling into attacking foolishly, to the point that he'd be overwhelmed. Their plan didn't come to light as even BeastBoy wasn't foolish enough to jump blindly into a battle he had no sure idea he'd win. Baring his teeth BeastBoy awaited an attack, an attack that eventually came when one Insectoids got the idea to attack him. BeastBoy side-stepped the scythe attack and went straight for the neck, bringing down the creature in less than five seconds. Two more decided to attack, using the fall of one of their own as a distraction to surprise BeastBoy. Jumping up he avoided another two slashes and morphed into an elephant, letting gravity do what it did best. On impact the Insectoids splattered, sending pieces toward the others that had surrounded BeastBoy. Taking hold of one that was still in shock from being splattered; with his trunk the changeling whipped the Insectoid around like a club, slamming it into other Insectoids, sending them into nearby cars and buildings. It didn't take long for his makeshift club to be ineffective, reduced to a beaten pulp. Flinging the useless thing away, BeastBoy then morphed again, this time into a beast that ruled the shore lines of the prehistoric era, the _Sarcosuchus imperator _(flesh crocodile emperor). With its huge mouth, long deadly tail, and enormous body, this forty-foot long creature expressed a ferocity rarely seen in BeastBoy. BeastBoy only brought out creatures like this in dire situations, fearful that such strength may overwhelm him. But even in the form of this enormous beast that weighed more than eight tons, BeastBoy seemed to be in full control of it. But the way he battled would have made someone think otherwise. Taking hold of a nearby Insectoid in his jaws he crushed it almost instantaneously between over one hundred razor sharp, bone-crushing teeth. With one whip of his mighty tail he took down another group of Insectoids in one movement, slicing them to ribbons. This his tail went up, catching an Insectoid in the chin, completely demolishing its face, before it came down hard on another, smashing it to pieces. Seeing as this creature was getting the upper hand the Insectoids lunged at him as one, covering him under their weight. But with his armor-like plating the Insectoids couldn't cut through and one-by-one he tossed them off. Then he made a path through them, charging his way through with head and tail snapping wildly, picking off any that had the misfortune of getting in his way. Looking back at the chaos he had created he noticed that the Insectoids surprisingly picked themselves and turned to chase him. Turning a corner he disappeared from view, but the Insectoids were close behind. But when they turned the corner they discovered him to be gone, as if he vanished in thin air. In pure confusion they separated, trying to search for the changeling, completely vacating the street they were on. After a few moments a sewer lid lifted up, revealing the emerald eyes of BeastBoy.

"Ha, ha, suckers." He mused, climbing out of the sewers

Looking up toward the sky he let the cool breeze cool him off as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Can't keep doing that." He muttered to himself, rubbing a sore spot near his shoulder

Morphing into those large creatures usually had a taxing aftereffect on the changeling; which was why he rarely used them in battle. But today he couldn't hold back, knowing that there was a war going on. He did wish though that he didn't have to run around the entire city. Stretching out he prepped himself for another run and that's when he noticed a very nice looking convertible just sitting there, in mint condition, not but ten feet away from him, with the keys still in the ignition. Now any good little superhero would just go on his way and leave the car as it was. They would never think about using it for their own usage. But any _smart _superhero would take the car and say that they were using it for 'official superhero usage'. Yeah…'official superhero usage', that's it.

"Sweet!" he cheered, running over to the forgotten automobile

Hopping in he nearly melt under the plush interior and when he grabbed the wheel it was almost as if the car was calling to him, begging him to drive it. Taking hold of the key he turned it and the car started up, purring like a newborn kitten.

"Yes!" he cheered, as he adjusted the rearview mirror

Then putting on some shades that he miraculously had in his pocket he stepped on the gas and peeled onto the road.

"Yahoo!" he cried as he flew down the street

Meanwhile, Robin was busy fighting off a gaggle of Insectoids with his Bo-Staff and upgraded electro-disks. Though he was fighting to the best of his ability the Insectoids were beginning to overwhelm him as they swarmed around him, closing in inch-by-inch. If he didn't find a way to escape and soon he would be overwhelmed by this daunting force. Then he heard a car engine, but with all the Insectoids in the way he could hardly see it.

"Robin!" he heard someone call and upon closer observation he discovered it to be BeastBoy

"BeastBoy!" he called, happy that his teammate was okay, but surprised that he was in a car that Robin knew for a fact wasn't his

Robin heard the screeching of the wheels and the wing-beats of BeastBoy, who had morphed into a pterodactyl and took to Robin, lifting him in the air by the shoulders and out of the claws of the awaiting Insectoids. Dropping him off in the passenger seat BeastBoy hovered for a moment before dropping back into his seat, causing the shades he had thrown in the backseat to pop up in the air due to the sudden weight distribution, where he caught them and put them back on. Robin would have scolded him right there and then for taking something that clearly didn't belong to him, but with the Insectoids closing in, a berating would have to wait. But the moment they were far enough away from the Insectoids to cruise…

"Where did you get this from!" Robin asked, barely able to keep from yelling

"Well…uh…you know it was just lying around and…" BeastBoy stuttered, knowing he was going to get chewed out for this one

"_Just lying around!_" he fumed "That doesn't mean you can take it!"

"But circumstances made me do it, blame the circumstances!" BeastBoy retaliated, hoping that it would make a good defense

"Circumstances!" he yelled, but he soon calmed down and began muttering to himself

"Uh…Robin…Am I busted?" BeastBoy asked

"No…" He mumbled

"Sweet!" BeastBoy cheered, more than happy that he wasn't gonna get it for taking the car

"But…" Robin interjected, which instantly turned Beast Boy's mood "We are going to have a very long talk about acquire things that do not belong to you." He told BeastBoy, as if he were telling his son to keep his hands to himself

With a sigh BeastBoy continued down the street. Another person sighed as they made their way down the street, but they had no car to relax in.

"This is even worst than the headaches BeastBoy gives me." Raven said, as she levitated slowly down the street "And that's saying something." She added

The headache she was suffering from hadn't been as far as severe as it had been earlier, and as of now it was reduced to an annoying dull throb. But it still interfered with her concentration, making it hard to even levitate properly at the moment. Fortunately there were no Insectoids around at the time to take advantage of her at her most vulnerable. Meanwhile, a familiar creature was just making its way across the bay that lead to the city.

"Yes, my sense of smell hasn't been dulled after all this time! I can smell her even from this distance." He thought to himself, gliding effortlessly, "But there must be a multitude of different individuals around however, for I am picking up numerous different odors. I recognize a few, those Titans. Others are a mystery to me. I will have to deal with the small number first, the Titans, before I decide to go after _her_." He thought

His speed increased drastically as he closed in on the tower, which was having more than its fair share of attention.

"Come _on!_" groaned the agile archer known as Speedy "This is getting ridiculous." He said, after downing another three Insectoids, "They just keep coming!" he groaned, firing another volley of arrows at the Insectoids.

"Are you getting tired Speedy?" Aqualad asked, his fist connecting with the face of nearby Insectoid "I could do this all day." He said, crushing another under immense water pressure

"Don't worry you're pretty little head fish boy, I'm a long way from being tired." Speedy quipped, firing an arrow that took two Insectoids out in a single shot

"Uno, dos, tres, quarto…" Mas and Menos counted off, taking off Insectoids one by one, as if they were a little tornado

"Don't worry ya'll, we should be able to handle them. It's not like something crazy is gonna happen!" Cyborg called, crushing an Insectoid under his boot

"**_ROOOOAAAAAR!_**" came a loud roar

"What was that?" Speedy asked

Before anyone could reply an intense wave of fire hit the island, engulfing it in flames. Insectoids fell due to the blast, while the Titans were barely able to avoid being roasted alive.

"Tram, Tram!" Cyborg yelled into his communicator

Tram began to try to explain what he saw but was cut short as the screen fizzled out. Cyborg looked up to see a huge blast of fire hit the top of the tower.

"TRAM!" yelled Cyborg in pure horror as the top of the tower was now ablaze

High in the skiers, BumbleBee and Starfire were still in a dogfight with the numerous flying Insectoids. Starbolts flew through the sky like bullets, gunning down Insectoids in a frenzy of bright green lights and explosions. Electricity cackled as it downed Insectoid after Insectoid, all from the little lightening rod known as Bumblebee.

"Haa!" cried Bumblebee, as she delivered a vicious roundhouse to the skull of an Insectoid

No crack was heard on impact, but it was evident that she delivered a finishing blow to the strange creature.

"Who else wants some?" cried Bumblebee, her stingers bouncing with electrical energy as he pointed them as the armada of Insectoids before her

With shrilled cries the Insectoids acknowledged her proclamation and charged forth, ready to slash her to bits, but a barrage of Starbolts stopped them in their tracks.

"You shall not be victorious!" cried Starfire, her hands glowing with Starbolt energy

"They may not, but I will." Came a voice

Before either girl could react to the voice they were swatted out of the sky like flies, on a collision course toward the streets of the city.

"Robin…I swear I heard something." BeastBoy said, cruising the streets of the city

"Like what?" Robin asked

"Not sure, but it kinda sounded familiar." BeastBoy replied "A lot like a roar…what _is_ that?" he asked

Robin looked in the direction BeastBoy was looking and noticed a green comet hurtling towards the city. At first Robin thought that is must have come from above, a Starbolt from Starfire, but as the comet began to dissipate a figure began to come into view. It was a slender figure with long hair. Robin's eyes began to widen as he realized who it might be. And when she saw long, ruby-red hair he instantly knew who it was.

"Starfire!" he cried, watching as she crashed through a nearby building, and finally the street itself

Robin didn't need to say anything as BeastBoy sped down the street to where Starfire crashed landed. Meanwhile Raven, who was still wandering the streets of the cities, sensed a very familiar presence.

"It can't be…no way." She thought, as the familiarity hit her, "He's supposed to be dead."

However that proved to be inaccurate as it was unmistakably _him_.

"The times have gone from bad to worst." She muttered, taking refuge in a nearby building.

Back with Robin and BeastBoy, BeastBoy had just made it to the crater that was created when Starfire hit the ground, **hard!** Robin nearly _flew _out of the car toward Starfire before it had even stopped. By the time BeastBoy had unfastened his seatbelt Robin was already in the crater, standing over Starfire.

"Starfire?" he called, taking her face in his hands

A grunt and mumble later Starfire's eyes fluttered open to see the mask of Robin looking back down at her.

"Robin?" Starfire asked, as reality came back to her

"Glad you're alright?" Robin replied, looking into her eyes

"Yes." She replied smiling

"Dudes, I'm gonna be sick." BeastBoy muttered, preparing to gag at the silly display of affection

"Right…I am glad you're alright Starfire." Robin replied, his leadership role resurfacing once again, "What happen?" he asked, helping her to her feet

"I am not sure Robin. One moment I am battling, the next I was attacked, along side BumbleBee...BumbleBee!" she gasped "Where is she! I do hope BumbleBee is not injured."

"Somebody say my name?" came a voice

The Titans looked to their left to see a black boot kick its way out from beneath some rubble. It wasn't long until BumbleBee herself soon emerged from the debris.

"Somebody give me the license plate of that bus." She mumbled, climbing out of the smaller crater she had created

"I do not believe that was a bus." Starfire commented "The voice I heard however seems quite familiar."

"It should." Came a booming voice

Turning around all the Titan's jaws dropped as they stared at the face of the one they thought they beat, but standing there, in all his glory, was Malchior; His blood-red eyes glaring at them, his tailing moving about as if it had a mind of its own, his mouth breathing slight flames as he readied an attack.

"You thought you had slain me…you thought wrong, and now your miscalculation will be your downfall. Now **BURN!**" he roared, unleashing a wave of heat at them

"Move!" Robin ordered

Starfire and BumbleBee took to the skies while BeastBoy and Robin jumped into their 'acquired' car and sped off, flames licking at their heels

"You will not escaped!" bellowed Malchior, taking chase on foot

Starfire and BumbleBee flew close to the car while it sped down the street, with Malchior right behind them, barreling his way toward them, sending anything in his path hurtling through the air.

"Mind telling me why a dragon knows you guys?" BumbleBee asked, dodging a ball of fire

"A long, complicated story." Robin replied "We'll explain later."

"If we have a later." She quipped, firing on Malchior

Starfire joined her in her assault on the dragon but it proved to be less than effective as their attacks only slightly hindered Malchior as he chased after them.

"You cannot stop me!" he roared, unleashing more flames on them

"Doesn't this guy ever let up?" BeastBoy asked

"Not likely" said a voice in the back seat

BeastBoy nearly swerved off the road until he looked in the rearview mirror and saw Raven sitting there, looking back at Malchior

"Raven? Hey, you're okay!" he said happily, worried that in the Titan's separation something terrible might have befallen her

"Yeah…but I see that Malchior has yet to meet his demise." She replied

"Raven? Dear Raven, it will be an honor to annihilate you." Malchior grinned, pushing himself to run faster

"What's his beef with you?" BumbleBee asked

"Don't worry about it." Raven replied

"So Raven, now that you're here, you can put him away, right?" BeastBoy asked hopefully

"I would, but I do not have the book…I have nothing to seal him in." she replied

"Great." BeastBoy muttered

"Where did you get this car?" Raven asked

"Well…I'm using it for official superhero business."

"You stole it?" she asked, seeing through him

"Yeah." He replied meekly, "But blame the circumstances!" He defended, steering away from a blast of fire

"Right, 'circumstances'."

"So, since we don't have the book…what are we suppose to do then?" BeastBoy asked

"Not die." BumbleBee chimed in, turning to attack Malchior

"Well I could have thought of that." BeastBoy muttered

"We'll have to regroup, call the other Titans, and then we can take on Malchior." Robin explained "I'm calling Cyborg." He told them, flipping open his communicator, "Cyborg? Do you read me Cyborg?" he called "Are you okay?"

After a few moments the face of the cybernetic Titan showed up on the communicator but from his expression it could be seen he was a far cry from being okay.

"Yo Robin, you okay?" Cyborg asked immediately

"No, we have Malchior on our tail." Robin replied "What about you?"

"Malchior?" Cyborg said in astonishment "So that's who attacked the tower." He muttered

"Can you give us a hand?" Robin asked, jerking to the left when BeastBoy sharply turned the car

"Would if I could, but those creatures still got us pinned down and Malchior didn't make it any easier on us." Cyborg replied "We'll try to get to you as soon as possible but I'm not making any promises." Cyborg replied

"Great…just watch yourself." He told Cyborg before cutting off the communicator

"So?" BeastBoy asked, never taking his eyes off the road

"We're on our own for now." Robin replied "Let's lead Malchior to a small area, make it hard for him to move around, we should be able to handle him then." Robin proclaimed, just as a ball of fire flew overhead and crashed into the street ahead of the car

"Whoa!" BeastBoy cried, swerving out of the way of the fire, but as he did so he lost control of the car

Malchior fired another ball of fire, this time aiming at the car, just hitting the bumper. The force of the blast shot the car into the air, along with Robin, BeastBoy and Raven, hurling all three out of the car.

"Robin!" cried Starfire, rushing over to grab Robin before he went splat on the ground

BumbleBee buzzed in to rescue Raven, as it seemed she wasn't in any condition to levitate. However, BeastBoy was not so lucky. Before he could transform into any creature that could fly, Malchior spun around, swinging his mighty tail with tremendous force towards the changeling. When the whip-like tail made contact, catching BeastBoy in the belly, it sent the green guy hurtling through the sky like a baseball!

"BeastBoy!" cried all four Titans as they saw their teammate fly through the air into a completely different part of the city

"One down…" cackled Malchior as he continued his chase of the fleeing Titans

Meanwhile, BeastBoy soon started to lose altitude and began to plummet to the ground below. With the wind officially knocked out of him he was too dazed to realize that he was coming in for a dangerous landing. Fortunately he didn't have a close encounter with the pavement, but with a mound of dirt in the park created from a construction team that was digging up a busted pipe underground. Other than a few rocks BeastBoy made a relatively soft landing in the dirt mound, kicking up a cloud of dirt on impact. The collision however knocked him unconscious, sending him to dream land.

Two sets of eyes saw BeastBoy careen through the air. One set were the soulless eyes of the strange witch while the other set were of a certain geomancer. Both sped toward the general location of the changeling in question, never realizing they were heading for one another as well.

* * *

"No more running, you are trapped." Cackled Malchior, walking into the parking lot of a nearby warehouse

The Titans had taken refuge in the warehouse, hidden by many boxes and machinery. Robin pulled out his electro-disks in his left hand while his right held his Bo-Staff, hiding behind a tower of boxes. BumbleBee's stingers cackled with energy as hid behind a forklift. Starfire floated close to the ceiling, trying to be as small as possible while Raven hid in the shadows, her power flowing through her. Malchior entered through the back, through a large door, just big enough to let him squeeze through.

"Rather smart." He muttered, knowing what the Titans had planned

With this small space he knew he couldn't fly over even use his wings without injury. His flames would be costly as well, seeing as if this place should collapse he would be caught in the wreckage as well. Malchior knew that the _smart_ thing to do would be to roast the building from outside but Malchior had a high degree of honor; in some respects. Any enemy he had he would battle them head on in battle. It was just his way. He would lie, cheat, and steal his way to get what he wanted, but when it came to facing his enemy he would fight them man-to-dragon or mystical creature-to-mystical creature.

"Come out of hiding and face me Titans!" he bellowed, walking further into the building

He knew they were in hiding, waiting for their opportunity to strike. Any creature that was against the wall like the Titans were would do something like this. Malchior tried to smell them out, but this warehouse contained an assortment of strong perfumes that clouded his sense of smell. Whether the Titans planned this or got lucky was beyond Malchior, but he wouldn't let his dulled sense stop him. He continued to search through the warehouse, using his other senses to locate the Titans. He heard breathing, but it was far to low to determine the exact location of that breathing, as it melded into the other low sounds of the building. Even with his advanced sight the warehouse was far too dim for him to see much, and even though the Titans would be in the same boat as him, he was a large target and you'd have to be blind not to see him walking through the warehouse. Malchior would be vulnerable until after the Titans struck, giving him only moments to find their whereabouts before they went into hiding again.

"So be it." He muttered, preparing for an attack

* * *

Running through the park on all fours, the strange transformed witch made her way toward BeastBoy, to conquer him. From a separate direction came Terra, a rock underneath her giving him the propulsion needed for her to quickly get to the downed changeling, to save him. By the time they reached him they had made contact, stopping dead in their tracks as they face one another, with BeastBoy in between them. The witch glared at Terra with a face full of hate while Terra stared bewildered at the strange woman before her. Claws formed on the hands of the witch while a small slithering tongue slowly emerged from her mouth. In response, Terra's hands began to glow and small rocks floated around her, creating a makeshift shield of stones. With the 'prize' in between them both females knew that if they wanted BeastBoy they would have to take the other out.

* * *

And that is that for this chapter. Hope you enjoy it. (Read and Review) 


	14. Get Ready For Battles

Time for the next chapter my readers of Fanfiction. You'll like this one, full of action, suspense, and a little drama…mostly action. And what you've all been waiting for; a table will definitely be thrown this chapter.

* * *

The two females glared at one another, though Terra was less willing to battle than the Witch was. 

"Who are you?" Terra asked

"My identity is of no importance to you human, leave and I will not end you." the Witch replied

"I'm here for my friend." Terra replied

"How misfortunate, you will not have him, he is mine." the Witch told her

"Why do you want BeastBoy?" Terra asked

"The green one is…different and special, he is off importance to me." The Witch replied

"You're one of those creatures, attacking the city?" Terra question, her calm demeanor never wavering

"In a way, yes, but I am more. Now leave, you irritate me."

"No, you are attacking the city and want to take my friend, I cannot let you do that." Terra replied

"If you oppose me you shall die." the Witch told her

"We'll see." Terra replied, taking a battle stance

The witch didn't waste any time to attack and rushed Terra with the intent to finish her in a single blow. The speed at which the Witch moved was surprising but at the moment the Witch was going to attack Terra sidestepped the attack, letting the Witch fly completely pass her. Hardly batting an eyelash Terra watched the Witch's movements, a placid look on her face. The Witch spun on her heel and turned to attack again, but as she did, Terra ducked, letting the Witch's claw attack sail over her. The Witch's eyes widened in fear as she realized she was wide open. Terra took the initiative and attack, punching the Witch in the face. The Witch flew back but caught herself and tried to attack again, but Terra had read her like a book and before the Witch could react Terra's fist connected with the Witch's face again, nearly caving her head in. The Witch backed away, not a scratch on her, as he body instantly healed the damage done by Terra's punch. If Terra was surprised by this creature's ability to heal so quickly, Terra didn't show it. In truth Terra didn't show much emotion, except for the occasional frown that was directed toward the unconscious body of BeastBoy; worried about his safety.

"You are much stronger than I had thought." The Witch muttered, her claws growing longer "But you will die."

"Then bring it." Terra said

The Witch smirked before rushing to attack again. Terra stood her ground, much like a rock, awaiting the Witch's attack. It wasn't until the Witch was directly over her did Terra realize something was wrong. Jumping toward the Witch Terra nearly evaded a slash that came at her left. But as Terra was in the air the Witch appeared directly over her, both hands brought together, coming down on her. Terra took the attack in the head and was shot toward the ground, making a crater, even from the short distance she was from the ground.

"Too simple." the Witch muttered, walking toward the crater

"Ha!" yelled Terra as she lunged from the crater and brought her foot around, planting it on the left side of the Witch's head

"You're bones should be broken!" the Witch bellowed after recovering from the hit

It was then that the Witch noticed a small covering of stones surrounding Terra's body.

"I see, you protected yourself with stones…you're an earth witch." the Witch replied

Terra didn't acknowledge her.

"You power will not change the outcome of this battle, for I have powers as well." the Witch said, bringing her hand out in front of her

Instantly it felt as if some invisible force had taken hold of Terra and lifted her in the air. The sudden shock of the force had caused her to temporarily lose control of her powers. When the stones around her body fell, she was thrown into a nearby tree, completely demolishing it on impact. But the pain didn't stop there, almost immediately after she was thrown into the ground and dragged along it until she crashed through a park bench. She twisted to the left and flew into a water fountain, causing it to crack and release pent up water pressure. Next she was dragged along the ground again until she came to an abrupt stop, right at the feet of the Witch.

"Good…bow to me mortal." the Witch cackled, her hand outstretched at Terra "But now for defying me you reward will be extermination." the Witch said, levitating a broken piece of the bench; a metal rod with a very sharp end

Discarding the park bench by tossing it away the witch let the rod hover over Terra's head prepareing to bring it down on the girl, but Terra would not go down that easily. Just as the Witch brought the rod down a similar sharp rod of stone impaled the Witch's chest. Looking down the Witch stared at the stone rod through her chest before falling over. Terra rolled away before the witch, watching as the metal rod fell helplessly to the ground, lost complete control of it.

"Rest in peace." Terra said, standing up and dusting herself off

Walking over to the dirt mound Terra went to see if BeastBoy was all right, but as she did so the Witch decided she wasn't going to die anytime soon. The Witch's eyes shot open and with one movement she snapped the stone spike that had impaled her. As the Witch picked herself up Terra's sharp mind sensed the Witch's presence and turned around to face her.

"Fool, you cannot kill me." The Witch told her, the hole in her chest healing itself

"And you cannot defeat me." Terra said

"Insolent fool!" the Witch screeched "I will litter you on this landscape!" she roared, charging Terra

With a glow of the eyes a rock appeared from the ground, a few feet away from Terra, tripping up the Witch. As the Witch fell forward Terra brought her boot up, catching the Witch in the face, popping her back up. Then Terra commanded her powers to take hold of the Witch with nearby mud created from the water fountain.

"Leave the city." Terra commanded as he held the Witch

"Never!" the Witch screeched, blasting her way out with her strange psychic powers

The mud flew from her, but none reached Terra as the geomancer's powers stop the mud in midair.

"You believe you have power!" the Witch bellowed, "Taste mine!"

Lunging her hand out again the Witch took hold of Terra with her invisible force, trapping the geomancer, but this time around Terra didn't look of worry. The Witch threw Terra at a tree, but before Terra made contact she stop mere inches from the trunk, saving the tree.

"What?" screeched the Witch in dismay "What have you done, what manner of trickery is this?"

"You are strong, but you're power is easy to see through." Terra began "You have psychic powers, but if I can jam those powers you can't do anything." Terra explained

"It was a pretty easy thing to do, all I had to do was use my powers a little different." She explained "I can't keep it up for long, but it should be enough to take you out." Terra replied

"Then come with it child." the Witch said

"Gladly." Terra replied, breaking free of the Witch's power

With glowing eyes the earth around her started to mold to her body, taking on the form of some sort of battle armor. Before long Terra was surrounded in an armor of the earth itself.

"Earth Armor!" she roared, charging the Witch

--

"Titans, Go!" yelled a voice from within the darkness of the warehouse

Malchior turned to the noise only to be greeted by a barrage of electro-disks. The explosion rocked him but he stayed standing, snapping in the general direction of the voice. Whether Robin dodged or not, Malchior didn't know but he hit nothing but air. Starbolts rained down on him, raking him in their explosive qualities, but they granted him light and with a swing of his tail Malchior aimed at the source of the Starbolts. He felt a connection and a cry, but whatever he hit didn't fall to the ground for he heard no thud. Then a wave of black and light electric-like energy hit him, cascading across his body and putting him in pain.

"_ROAR!_" he roared in pain

He couldn't tell where the attacks were coming from as the Titans attack one after another, keeping him guessing.

"This is getting rather annoying." He muttered, taking another barrage of electro-disks in the chest "I must determine their locations." he muttered

That's when he got a brilliant idea. Staring up at the ceiling he jumped, pushing against the ceiling. When he landed he jumped again, hitting the ceiling and causing some of it to collapse. The Titans took cover as more and more of the ceiling fell. Finally, after the fifth time hitting the ceiling, Malchior jeopardized the structural integrity of the ceiling, and the sixth time he broke through, causing most of the ceiling to cave in. The sun shined in, illuminating most of the warehouse with only the deepest of shadows remained.

"Ah…much better." Malchior mumbled, stretching out his wings

"Ha!" someone yelled, unleashing a powerful blast of energy

Malchior took the attack full force in the face and toppled over, crushing several different boxes. Various cracks could be heard as whatever expensive items were crushed under his weight. The attack didn't end as more dark energy wrapped around various boxes and levitated over Malchior. Before Malchior could respond the boxes crushed him, burying him in a cardboard tomb.

"Whew." muttered Raven, breathing heavily after exhorting herself once again

"Raven, are you alright?" Starfire asked, floating nearby

Raven nodded her head.

"Get ready Titans, Malchior may still be ready to fight." Robin said, Bo-Staff spinning in his right hand

Nothing happened at first but as time went by the boxes that Malchior was buried under began to stir, alerting the Titans to Malchior's reemerging. Then suddenly a large claw shot out from the under the boxes and took hold of Robin! Emerging from the box pile was Malchior, Robin in paw, and a devilish grin on his face. Boxes fell open revealing their contents as Malchior revealed himself. Looking toward the large hole in the ceiling he reeled back and tossed Robin clean out of the warehouse!

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" yelled Robin as he flew through the air

"Robin!" yelled Starfire, taking off to rescue him

"That foolish girl is too caught up in emotions and will risk life and limb to save that boy. Her downfall." Malchior replied "But you would know much about that, wouldn't you my dear." Malchior replied with a sneer

Raven remained hidden by her hood, but her powers began to wrap around her, engulfing her body in darkness.

"You wouldn't be getting mad, would you?" he asked, "You may be free of your father, but your demonic side is still a threat." he replied

"How do you know about _him?_" Raven asked, trying to keep herself in check

"In the time we spent together I felt the influence of that demon within you." Malchior replied "But you are now free of his influence. Good for you." he told her "When I defeat you I would like to finish you under your own power."

"Forgetting me?" came BumbleBee, unleashing electricity

Malchior's wing stood in the way of the blast, deflecting the electricity harmlessly away

"No, I did not." Malchior replied, lunging his head forward

The attack took BumbleBee by surprise and the attack hit her dead on. It was as if a brick wall, a very well built brick wall, was hitting her. The force shot BumbleBee across the warehouse and out a window. Raven took this as her opportunity to attack and unleashing a simple blast on the dragon. When the smoke cleared Raven was gone. Outside Raven flew over to BumbleBee who had landed in a nearby car. When she got close she discovered that BumbleBee was rubbing her head.

"You okay?" Raven asked

BumbleBee glared at her.

"Sorry, standard question." Raven replied

Helping her from the car BumbleBee tried to stand on her own two feet, when she did she felt an agonizing pain in her back.

"My wings…" she muttered, doubling over in pain

"What wings?" Raven commented, looking at the mangle remains of BumbleBee's wings "Are they…" Raven began but BumbleBee interrupted her

"They'll heal on their own, but I need some time to rest." BumbleBee replied, wrapping her arm around Raven's neck "Can you fly?" she asked

"No…I can't regain my concentration, pushed myself too much." Raven replied, "Need some time to focus myself." Raven replied

"Put 'I hate dragons' on my tombstone." BumbleBee muttered

"We're not finished yet." came Raven

"Yet." replied a voice

Turning around they came face-to-face with Malchior. Accept you defeat and I will not destroy you." He told them

"No way dragon boy!" yelled BumbleBee

"So be it." He replied, reaching out for them

Luckily, there was a sewer lid below them and BumbleBee used that to her advantage. Stomping down she forced the lid to flip up and with a mighty kick sent it at Malchior. Malchior easily caught the lid and crushed it in his paw but that distraction was all the time BumbleBee and Raven needed to hop down into the sewer.

"You will not escape!" he roared, reaching down into the manhole, completely destroying it

A claw reached around in the sewer but Raven and BumbleBee were long gone, running deep into the twisted caverns of the sewer.

--

"This human is stronger than I had realized." The Witch said, blocking another attack from Terra

With the stones surrounding her the Witch couldn't use her powers against Terra and with the added weight of the stones Terra's strength had increased. But that weight came at a price as Terra slowed down considerably. This didn't matter too much as Terra was able to read the Witch's movements, but The Witch was still much faster than Terra so the geomancer couldn't land a decisive hit on the Witch.

"She will eventually overpower me…" the Witch thought "I will need to collect myself before continuing to battle."

Jumping away from Terra the Witch snapped her fingers and from the ground rose a collective group of Insectoids, which began to hiss at Terra.

"Do not think that this is the end earth witch, we will meet again and one of us will be victorious while the other meets their end." the Witch told her, before disappearing

The Insectoids lunged at Terra ready to strike, but with a wave of her hand the rocks surrounding her body shot from her, gunning down the Insectoids in one fell swoop. With the Insectoids defeated Terra turned her attention to BeastBoy, who was still unconscious from his previous flight.

"BeastBoy?" she asked, hoping to get a response

He didn't reply, but his steady breathing assured her that he was still okay.

"BeastBoy." she mumbled, a solemn look on her face

What would she say if he woke up and saw her? 'Hey BeastBoy, I'm back!' No, she couldn't let him see her, not now. She turned to leave but before she could fly into the air she heard one word that sent shivers up and down her spine.

"Terra?"

She froze in place, immediately knowing who called her, not daring to look back at the boy she hadn't seen in so long.

"It can't…is that you?" he mumbled, believing that he was still dizzy from his crash and his eyes were playing tricks on him

Terra wanted to say something but she just couldn't bring herself to open her mouth and reply. So many memories, both good and bad, flooded her mind all at once, and as those memories came in, questions of the future hit her.

"What do I do?" she asked herself, trying to force her body to move

She began to get feeling back in the upper half of her body, but her legs refused to move and soon enough BeastBoy was on two feet, staring at the back of the head of a girl he thought he'd never see again in the flesh.

"It can't be her, can it? I mean…she's a statue…but maybe…" he thought in his head

Walking over to the girl in front of him the only thought he had in his mind was to see her for who she was, to see her face, only then would he know if this was Terra or not. When he was in arms reach of her he put his hand out, just to touch her to see if she was real. But when he made contact with her she jerked away suddenly, starting him and nearly causing him to trip. However, that sudden jerk gave Terra the confidence she needed to…take off. The ground underneath her started to rumble, turning into a floating platform that took her high into the sky at a great speed, away from BeastBoy.

"Terra, wait!" he cried, but she was long gone

Feeling lower than a snake he fell to his butt, poking at a piece of grass while he tried to figure things out.

"Was it really her?" he thought "It had to be, those powers. Nobody else could do that. But how…how?" he wondered "Did the effect just wear off?" he thought "Is she really back?"

So many things ran through his mind that the world around him ceased to be, all he could think about was Terra. This proved to be ill-advised notion as a certain creature was walking through the park, less than happy about losing his adversaries.

"How could I let them escape!" muttered the dragon known as Malchior "They were in my grasp, yet I let them slip through my claws!" he growled, exhaling smoke from his nostrils

That's when he noticed BeastBoy sitting on the ground, in deep thought.

"The green one…hmm, maybe I will still be able to carry out some of my revenge." The dragon thought, "Prepare yourself green one, for I, Malchior wish to do battle with you and…" he bellowed, but soon realized that BeastBoy had yet to realize he was there

Malchior's jaw dropped and he felt as if he had been kicked aside like a small puppy dog.

"Grrr! I challenge you to battle!" he roared, but BeastBoy was still deep in thought, "Awaken or I will…" But it was no use

Malchior would have roasted him then and there if he didn't want to get the boy's attention. With a mighty roar Malchior let loose all his frustrations for the day.

"**_ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAR!_**"

That was enough to snap the changeling out of his stupor and back to reality. Looking up he looked into the red eyes of the dread dragon and probably would have wet himself if he poor bladder control.

"Malchior?" he cried, clenching his fists for battle

"I see that you are _finally _ready to battle." He muttered "Now prepare yourself for your defeat." He told him, flames licking at his lips

Flames erupted from Malchior's mouth but before they could hit their mark BeastBoy morphed into a cheetah and used an incredible burst of speed to avoid being roasted alive. BeastBoy shot under Malchior's legs and morphed into a small humming bird, taking flight as he darted around under Malchior's belly. Malchior whipped around just to catch sight of BeastBoy darting from under him. Opening his mouth more flames shot out, engulfing the small bird in flames. When the fire died down Malchior expected victory, but all he found was a very large shell of a sea turtle, which had protected the changeling from the inferno. Without hesitating BeastBoy morphed into a cheetah again and took off again. BeastBoy knew didn't have the endurance to outrun Malchior, but if he could just get into the city he'd have a better chance of defeating the dragon. BeastBoy headed for the nearest street and motored into the city, with Malchior right at his heels. Already BeastBoy could feel his legs begin to burn and he knew that he would have to rest soon. Darting into a nearby alleyway he narrowly avoided being part of Malchior's well-balanced dinner.

"You will not get away!" he roared, climbing up the side of the building

BeastBoy ran full speed through the alleyway, trying to get to the other side as quickly as possible. But just as he was about to leave Malchior fell from the top of the two buildings BeastBoy was in-between right in front of the changeling and unleashed a powerful roar.

"**_RROOAARR!_**"

Quickly reaching out he took hold of BeastBoy and held him tight in his claws. BeastBoy tried to break free by morphing into a variety of different animals but Malchior held fast, refusing to let him slip away.

"It would seem that I have defeated you whelp. Now you die." He told him, opening his mouth

BeastBoy watched as the fire accumulated in Malchior's throat, increasing in intensity, ready to burn him to cinder. But just before Malchior could incinerate him a large boulder plowed into his face, directing the blast of heat in a random direction. However, the sudden impact caused Malchior to fling BeastBoy into a nearby building, creating a neat little imprint of the changeling's body.

"BeastBoy!" he heard someone yell as he peeled off the wall

BeastBoy morphed into a falcon as he fell, but he was far too dazed to gain any lift from his excessive flapping. Luckily, before he went splat on the ground, someone caught him, saving him from becoming a decorative smear on the street. Looking up at his savior his eyes bulged out and his beak dropped as he realized that his suspicions had been accurate. There she was, Terra, the girl he thought he'd never again see in the world of the living, standing there, holding him in her arms.

"Terra!" he squawked exuberantly, forgetting that in his falcon form he couldn't speak a word of English

"Uh…nice to see you too." She replied, growing nervous

"You will pay for that earth witch!" bellowed Malchior as he recovered from the impact

In his fury he unleashed a wave of fire at both Terra and BeastBoy, but Terra waved her hand upward, creating a shield of earth that protected her from the heat. Then using the very shield that had protected her she used her powers to throw it at the dragon, but Malchior easily destroyed it by ramming it with his head.

"You'll have to do better than…that?" he mumbled, as Terra and BeastBoy were gone

Looking down the street he saw Terra and BeastBoy speed away on a floating piece of street.

"A distraction…they will pay for making a fool of me." He muttered, giving chase

"Terra! You're back!" BeastBoy cried, holding her tight

"Uh…yeah…BeastBoy, I can't exactly steer when you're squeezing me like that." She told him, trying to keep control of the piece of street they were on

"Oh…" he mumbled, releasing his grip slightly, "But Terra…" he said

BeastBoy was happy beyond words! He didn't know what to say! He had missed her for so long and she was finally back! He had so much to say to her but didn't know where to start! But even with his unbridled joy he knew he had a very angry dragon chasing them and that he'd have to deal with that before he could express himself to Terra.

"Who or _what_ is that?" Terra asked, as they zoomed down the street

"Huh?...oh, that's Malchior, an old _friend._" BeastBoy replied, looking back and seeing the rage in Malchior's eyes

"I see. Any way to stop him?" Terra asked

"No." he replied "The only way there was to stop him was with Raven and a book, and the book's gone now."

"Raven…" Terra muttered, thinking back at past occurrences with the dark sorceress

"It's okay…" BeastBoy said, trying to relax her, but he knew what the geomancer was thinking at the moment and he knew that even an apology wouldn't make up for everything that happened in the past

"BURN!" roared Malchior, ready to unleash a hell storm of flames, but a barrage of Starbolts and Electro-Disks put a damper on that attack

"BeastBoy!" called the tameranian known as Starfire

On her back was Robin, an eyebrow raised as he immediately knew who was with the changeling

"Terra?" he question for a moment, but knew that an interrogation would have to wait

"Terra! You have returned!" Starfire said in glee, forgetting who was chasing them and what was going on

"Hey Starfire…Robin." Terra replied "BeastBoy filled me in on the dragon, mostly." She told them

"Good, so you know we need to take him down." Robin replied "We'll need the other's however."

"You rang?" came a voice

From another direction came BumbleBee and Raven. With her wings fully healed BumbleBee was ready for some payback and Raven had finally found her center and was ready for action. Terra looked back and her eyes immediately locked with Raven's. Terra's looked at her with a worried look, Raven didn't say a word, and it didn't seem as if she were angry, only a look of determination was plastered on her face.

"Titans…" Robin began, that word reminding Terra of what she once had "Go!" cried Robin and the group turned, unleashing a torrent of attacks on Malchior

Rocks, Starbolts, dark and light energy, along with explosive devices clobbered Malchior, racking his body with explosions. A huge column of smoke arose, blanketing the dragon and much of the street, masking the dragon from the view of the Titans.

"Is he…" began BeastBoy, but he never had a chance to finish as a wave of fire erupted from the smoke, clearing a path the smoke and forcing the Titans to separate

A whip-like tail shot out from the smoke, catching Starfire in chest. Luckily Robin grabbed a nearby street light and landed safely while Starfire slowly floated down, trying to recover from the blow. A fire ball came next, but Raven stopped it with an energy shield. Following the ball of fire came a claw, slashing through the energy field caused a sudden break resulting in a recoil of energy, which forced Raven back. Fortunately for her BumbleBee was there to cushion the fall. Just as the smoke cleared Malchior lunged forth, throwing his entire weight at Terra and BeastBoy.

"RAAAAH!" he roared, his claws extended and his mouth agape

Terra barely avoided the brunt of the attack, but Malchior's back curved upward and knocked both her and BeastBoy off of the rock they were on. Terra crashed into a mailbox, putting a large dent in its side, while BeastBoy morphed into a Kangaroo Rat and hopped to safety.

"Terra!" he squeaked, racing over to her

But before the changeling could assist her a large claw plummeted down, cutting him off from her.

"Uh, uh, uh…you have to deal with me first." Malchior said, glaring down at BeastBoy

Almost instantly BeastBoy morphed into a furious dinosaur, larger than even the mighty T-Rex. In the form of a Giganotosaurus, a forty foot long nine ton creature he lunged forth, tackling the larger creature.

"ROOAARR!"

The sheer momentum of the attack knocked Malchior off his feet, catching him off guard and causing both massive creatures to fall to the ground.

_**TWUDD!**_

The ground shook under their combined weight and the street began to crack. Before long the street collapsed underneath them and the two giants fell through.

"BeastBoy!" cried Terra as she watched him fall into the depths of the sewer

Their echoing roars could still be heard deep in the sewer and the sounds of battle followed.

CRASH! BOOM! BANG! POW!

It seemed a ferocious battle was going on but as for who was winning that was up to debate. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, though it only lasted a few minutes, the battling stopped and everything went quiet. However dull thudding sounds could be heard as one of the creatures arose from the sewers and climbed back to the surface. Everyone held their breaths as they awaited the victory, trembling as they hoped that BeastBoy had come out of it okay. Then out of the sewer came a green Giganotosaurus Carolinii, slowly making its way out. A huge sigh of relief passed over the Titans for the victory BeastBoy had over Malchior, or so they thought. This relief lasted briefly as it was seen that BeastBoy was unconscious and Malchior had been the true victor, hefting the green dino on his back.

"Well that was quite disappointing; he didn't last nearly as long as I thought he would." Malchior said, heaving the large dinosaur off his back, "Hopefully you humans will provide me with more entertainment." Malchior chuckled, stepping forward

Even though it seemed he was unconscious BeastBoy knew everything that was going on, he just couldn't move his body and his mind was blurry, but he knew that Malchior was attacking his friends. He could hear their battle cries and grunts as they attacked the dragon but he knew that they wouldn't be able to handle Malchior on their own.

"There's nothing I can do." He thought, after losing all feeling in his body

He heard a grunt from BumbleBee as she was thrown into a lamp post. Next the sound of an explosion from one of Robin's Freeze-Disks and the muffled grunt of Malchior, his mouth now encased in ice. That didn't last long as Malchior broke free and fired a wave of fire at Robin, who barely dodged the attack. The heat however hit him sending him stumbling back, sizzling like a steak on the barbeque.

"Raah!" yelled Starfire as she went on full-auto with her Starbolts, firing on Malchior with untold fury

The attack however proved futile as Malchior tore his way through it and smashed Starfire with his claw. The attack caused her to bounce up and Malchior swatted her away, throwing her into a nearby building.

"I've got to do _something._" BeastBoy thought, trying to get up

Firing on Malchior; Raven, BumbleBee, and Terra tried to force the beast back, but Malchior retaliated with a large ball of flames. Raven brought up her shield and took the attack, but it could barely stand up against the power Malchior had unleashed on them. Taking this as his opportunity, Malchior whipped his tail into the shield, shattering it on impact, breaking Raven's concentration. Then the dragon used his tail and took hold of Terra by the waist and swung her into BumbleBee. To BumbleBee if felt as if she had just been hit by a bag of lead moving very quickly. Terra had been knocked out on impact but BumbleBee skidded across the ground after being hit. BumbleBee tried to get up but Malchior slammed his tail down, once again hitting BumbleBee with an unconscious Terra.

"Got to fight." BeastBoy thought, thinking of something that could give him the strength he needed

Throwing Terra to the side Malchior concentrated on Raven, her hands glowing with power, though they flickered, for Raven's powers were weakening.

"Maybe, the Beast." He thought, trying to summon up that creature of rage

The problem was that he wasn't angry. Well, he was angry but he couldn't express it. After the beating he took his body caused him to go numb, to suppress the pain. For that reason he couldn't get angry because he wasn't in any pain. Though his friends were being beaten, he wasn't angry enough to unleash the Beast. He began to lose consciousness as he watched Malchior close in on Raven, a dark chuckle emanating from his lips.

"Nowhere to run to my dear, no friends to save you, and no spell to stop me. It is time for you destruction." He told Raven, firing a wave of fire at her

Raven put up a shield and stopped the intense blast but Malchior kept pushing and the fire soon started to take its toll on Raven's concentration. Before long, Malchior had weakened her enough to break through the shield. The shield crumbled, leaving Raven at the mercy of Malchior, yet she showed no fear and glared at him as he cackled.

"Defiant to the end and so determined. That is what I like about you my dear. I feel slightly downtrodden that I will have to put an end to that. Oh well."

"Stick it." She said, trying to summon any of her powers

"So be it." He said, building up flames in his throat

"Raven." Mumbled BeastBoy, his body slowly changing, "I feel so calm…so…calm..."

"This is the end." Malchior thought, opening his mouth to unleash his fire breath

But just as he did so a large green blur shot past him, intercepting the attack. Raven stood, awaiting the end, but then she was protected by something huge. When the flames died down Malchior's jaw nearly fell out of his mouth as he stared at the creature that stopped his attacks. It had wings, very large wings, much like his wings, which it had used to stop the flames. The creature before Malchior resembled him in shape, but more slender, like a salamander, with two large bull-like horns protruding from its head; very sharp horns that pointed straight ahead. It stood on all fours, with claws on each paw. It even had a pair of claws on the joints of its wings, giving off the appearance of six paws. This creature's tail was longer than Malchior's and like Malchior's it was whip-like. Slowly the wings of the creature opened, revealing its full form. It was monstrous to say the least, but it had a calm look to it, unlike Malchior's which mostly showed off anger.

"You!" Malchior roared "What are you doing, interrupting my victory?" he bellowed

The creature before him raised a paw and extended a single claw, waving the claw back and forth, telling Malchior with saying a word that what he was doing was wrong and that this creature was ashamed he'd attack a girl.

"BeastBoy?" questioned Raven as she looked up at this creature before him

The creature smiled, giving her the answer she was looking for.

"You…you will not defeat me…even in that form." Malchior replied, gritting his teeth in anger

The creature before him had spread its wings and raised its head, unleashing a deafening, thunderous roar as it prepared for battle for now BeastBoy had become the one thing that could rival Malchior's strength. He had become a dragon; THE BB DRAGON!

"**_RRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!_**"

--

So, do you like this chapter? I hope you do, because I do. Don't worry, you'll understand the whole transformation thing soon enough. Just have fun reading and give me reviews, I'd like to know what my readers think about this chapter.


	15. Dragons With a Hint of Romance

Now it's time for the battle between Malchior and BeastBoy in his 'dragon' form. You'll understand more as the story goes along so don't worry and just have fun.

* * *

You're probably waiting for 'the two enemies stared one another down in a fierce battle of determination, ready for the other to make the first strike so that the battle of epic proportions could begin' or something like that. Well I don't want to start the story like that because I am evil and like to let my readers suffer. This story begins like this. 

"Now…I've seen everything." Muttered Raven, staring up at the behemoth that was BeastBoy

BeastBoy, the dragon in question, was busily looking at himself, rather impressed with this new form, even though he had no clue what he was exactly. Muttering to himself in a series of grunts and groans he tried to decipher just what he had become. From the looks of it he had become what he was about to fight, a dragon, but when he tried to breathe fire all that came out was hot air…and the smell of tofu that he had for breakfast. Luckily, Raven was directly below him so the gush of air from his mouth hadn't made it to her nostrils. The bird that had flown by however _wasn't_ so lucky and experienced a fate worst than death, Bad Breath. Meanwhile, the other dragon, the dread dragon, the dread dragon Malchior… (Wish I had a cool title like that) he was, well…shocked, angered, stupefied, and confused all at once.

"How did that nuisance become this?" he muttered, "How is he still moving after I defeated him so mercilessly?" he muttered, "How dare he pervert the proud legacy of dragons?" he muttered, "Why am I asking myself these questions?" he muttered, "Why am I talking to myself?" he muttered for the final time…in this period of time

"Go away." He heard someone say

Turning to the source of the voice Malchior discovered that it was BeastBoy, speaking in Malchior's tongue. With a grunt Malchior replied, less than enthusiastic of BeastBoy's appearance. 

"Whatever you have become cretin, it is not what I am." Malchior told him

"Don't care, go away." BeastBoy repeated

"Not likely, I have business with dear Raven…but if you want to battle then come with it. I will defeat you **again** if I must."

BeastBoy shook his head, indicating that Malchior might not win.

"We shall see." He said, unleashing a fireball at BeastBoy

Quicker than lightening BeastBoy opened his mouth and his jaw immediately detached, allowing it to open wider and swallow the large ball of fire.

"What the…" Malchior stuttered

But fortunately for Malchior BeastBoy didn't want to steal anything else for the time being and returned the dragon's ball of fire. Wait a minute, that isn't fortunate at all because a ball of fire is very dangerous. Anyhow, BeastBoy opened his mouth, spitting the ball of fire back at Malchior, who dodged the countered-attack before it hit him and caused him extreme pain.

"You will pay for that." Malchior screeched, taking in a big breath before unleashing a wave of fire at BeastBoy

BeastBoy raised his mighty wings and drew them as far back as he was able, before bringing them forward in one quick movement that created a gust of wind so powerful that it was able to disperse the oncoming fire as easily as blowing out a candle.

"Had enough?" asked BeastBoy, surprisingly without a smug look on his face

"Hardly." Replied Malchior

As the two dragons continued to speak to one another Raven decided this would be the best time to make her retreat. Why stick around when you can't understand a word either is saying, oh, and the fact that they were unleashing attacks of great power, that too. But before she left she attended to the bird that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Nobody should have to take BeastBoy's breath unattended." She thought, as she and the bird flew away

"You will not be leaving!" bellowed Malchior, rushing toward Raven

However, BeastBoy beat him to it and intercepted his charge, catching the black dragon in the belly with his sharp horns. They didn't pierce Malchior's hide, but they did hurt like the dickens, forcing Malchior back.

"You will pay for that." Malchior told him, watching as Raven flew away "With your life." He added

BeastBoy's long neck swayed side-to-side eagerly as he waited for Malchior to back up his words. Being the dragon he was Malchior didn't waste anymore time and charged at BeastBoy, with the full intent of ending his existence.

* * *

"Man…now that wasn't easy." Grumbled Cyborg as he and the rest of the Titans East made their way into the city

"Estoy que Tranvía contento está bien." Replied Mas, happy that Tram was okay

"Mí también." Replied his brother, Menos, also happy as well

"Why do you guys have to make so many crazy enemies?" Speedy asked as he checked his bow

"Well we wouldn't be heroes if we didn't make any enemies." Cyborg replied, "Besides, we dealt with the creatures at the tower and my scans say there aren't that many left in the city. From here on end it'll be smooth sailing." Cyborg told him, just as two behemoths crashed through a nearby building

Wrestling, both Malchior and the new dragon-boy called BeastBoy were currently trying to overpower the other, though in terms of strength Malchior was far superior to BeastBoy. But with BeastBoy's flexible body and speed he was an even match for the dread dragon.

"Smooth sailing huh?" Speedy mocked; as the group watched the two dragons go at one another

"Robin!" Cyborg called into his arm, hoping to get an immediate reply

Robin appeared on his screen, looking slightly beaten, but still ready to battle.

"Rob, what's happening?" Cyborg asked as the two dragons caused more and more property damage

"From what we can gather BeastBoy morphed into a dragon…somewhat and is fighting Malchior right now." Robin replied

"Great…well he just happens to be fighting him right in front of us, what happened to you guys!" Cyborg asked, nearly yelling

"It's not easy to fight a dragon." Came the voice of Raven, her image appearing on Cyborg's arm "Especially Malchior."

"How'd B turn into that?" Cyborg asked

"We are not sure friend." Replied Starfire "But that is not the only strange occurrence that has happened." She told him

"What do ya mean?" he asked

"A friend of yours." Came Bumblebee, as another figure stepped into the screen

"Terra!" Cyborg yelled, shocked, looking at the geomancer on screen

"Hi." She replied, with a smile that betrayed her true feelings

"You know, too much stuff is happening right now for me to ask how you're back." He told Terra, "Look, ya'll just get over here and…I don't know." He muttered, not knowing how to deal with this situation

"Be there in two." Robin replied, before the screen went black

* * *

Groups of Insectoids, one of the few groups remaining in the city after most of them had retreated, were simply walking the streets, not a care in the world. Their lives couldn't be better as they didn't have to fight anymore. However their lives didn't continue for long as a stream of fire that had missed its intended target eradicated them.

"Hold still you pest!" roared Malchior, firing more fire at BeastBoy, who evaded quite easily

BeastBoy's slick and slender body allowed him to move in and out of offense and defense as fluidly as if he were in water. His wings, though large and powerful, snuggly fitted around his body, thus giving the changeling the flexibility and wiriness of a snake. Physically Malchior may have been stronger, but it didn't matter as BeastBoy had strength of his own along with speed.

"You think you can make a fool of me?" bellowed Malchior as he lunged at BeastBoy, claws extended

BeastBoy slithered around the attack, causing Malchior to crash into a nearby building, a head-on-brick wall collision.

"You don't need me for that." Replied BeastBoy in a taunting fashion

"Grrrrraaaaaaahhhhhh!" Malchior screeched, consumed with anger

Leaping once again Malchior aimed to rip BeastBoy's tongue from his throat. With great skill BeastBoy leapt over Malchior, catching Malchior in the head with his tail, causing Malchior to crash into the street, eating up the pavement in the process. The huge dragon pulled itself up on his feet, slightly dazed from the crash, thus he didn't notice BeastBoy's tail coming around at blinding speeds.

CRACK!

Malchior's head, shot back after the sudden hit, causing him to stumble backwards into a nearby pancake shack.

"NOOOOO!" cried Cyborg as he watched his favorite pancake shack turn to rubble

The loud cry of Cyborg's fantasies being crushed alerted BeastBoy to his and the other Titans' presence. The connection lasted only a few seconds as BeastBoy registered the other Titans before he saw Malchior rise from what was left of the pancake shack. With a series of yips and grunts BeastBoy tried his best to make the other Titans flee, to try and get them away from this battle, but yips and grunts aren't always understandable to humans so it soon turned to being a waste of time.

"You will regret that." Malchior grunted, heaving himself on is feet

The moment he got to his feet Malchior heard something slice through the air but before he could decipher what that was he was hit with a volley of arrows. None of the arrows could pierce Malchior's hide, but since they were Impact Arrows they mimicked someone launching a catapult full of stones at the dragon. Malchior jerked back from the impact but was far from defeated. Opening his mouth he aimed to incinerate the person who fired those arrows but the moment he did a wave of sonic energy crashed into his mouth, causing him to choke on sonic waves.

"Booya!" cried Cyborg, exuberant that he hit his mark

While Malchior gagged and wheezed for air, BeastBoy slid over to his friends, standing before them with a look of concern on his face.

"BB?" Cyborg asked, wondering how his pal could have become something like this

With a nod BeastBoy replied and in the same action tried to hurry Cyborg away from the battle between Malchior and himself.

"What's…he doing." Speedy asked as a giant paw pushed him aside

"Think he wants us to get out of here…" Cyborg replied

However, BeastBoy was so concerned about his friend's safety that he didn't notice Malchior recover from his previous attack.

"BB, look out!" cried Cyborg as he saw Malchior unleash a ball of fire

BeastBoy had sensed the attack coming much sooner, but couldn't afford to move out of the way for his friends would have been roasted. BeastBoy's large wings opened up and caught the ball of fire en-route. The ball exploded immediately after hitting his wings and fire racked across his body, shadowing both himself and the other Titans. When the fire died down BeastBoy was left with a slight mark on his left wing; sizzling from the explosion.

"Your fight is with me…being distracted from that will lead to you death." Malchior told him, growling angrily

Growling himself, BeastBoy opened his mouth and with a sharp hiss he spit a strange liquid from his fangs. Malchior darted to the right to avoid the liquid, which he quickly deduced as a potent poison. But serving only as a distraction BeastBoy was already in the air, his friends huddled in his paws as he took flight.

"You will not escape!" Malchior howled, spreading his own wings and lifting off into the air

However it soon became apparent on who was actually the faster flyer as BeastBoy easily out flew the dragon, leaving Malchior behind. Before the Titans knew it they were sitting atop a large building, watching as BeastBoy turned to face Malchior, tackling him in mid-air.

"Whoa…look at them go." Aqualad mumbled

The fight was rather spectacular. Both beasts tumbled through the air, claws flying every which way as they tried to take the other down. Teeth of both creatures chomped down on the other, twisting and turning as they tried to ring one another's neck. Malchior quickly shifted his weight, throwing BeastBoy off balance and forcing him into the side of a building. The glass shattered on impact while a steel rod that had been twisted from the collusion jabbed BeastBoy in the back. The sharp pain that rippled through the shape-shifters back caused him to cry out to pain, throwing a hurtling roar into the sky.

"DIE!" yelled Malchior as he lunged his head forward, mouth wide open

BeastBoy cocked his long neck up, dodging the attack and countering with a head-butt that pushed Malchior toward the ground. Spinning around Malchior caught himself in the air before hitting the ground; the wind created by his wing beat clearing the street of all obstructions; bikes, cars, papers, etc. With a crack of his back BeastBoy gave chase as he realigned his spine.

"Cyborg!" someone called

Cyborg turned behind him to see the other Titans making their way over to him. With Robin in the hands of Starfire, the masked vigilante called to his robotic friend. Landing on the roof of the building the remaining Titans received the download on what was happening.

"Terra…how'd you get out?" Cyborg asked

"I'm not sure…all I know is that my prison broke away." she replied

"Well, that's a better explanation than what's happening with B at the moment." Cyborg replied, scratching his head

"We'll find out later." Robin said, "First we need to find out if those creatures are still in the city, there are our prime targets." He said

"Let me scan." came Cyborg

After a few moments of looking about the city Cyborg gave his report on the condition of the Insectoid War.

"I'm only scanning a few stragglers in the city at the moment. Nothin' we can't handle." he replied "Guess they went on the retreat." he replied

"For now." Robin replied "But we still need to use this time to take care of Malchior. Raven?" he called "Is there anyway to banish Malchior?" he asked Raven

"No, without the book I cannot seal him away." she told him "And nothing I have is powerful enough to capture him."

"Great…" Robin muttered "Looks like the only way to handle this is to take down Malchior." he said

"Yeah, well we tried that but B brought us up here away from the fight. He thinks we can't handle it." Cyborg said with a grunt

"BeastBoy was always looking out for everybody else." Terra replied

"Maybe, but we don't know if he can handle Malchior himself. We need to assist him." Replied Raven

"Right." replied Robin

"But how can…"

"We help…

"Senor…

"BeastBoy in…"

"The way…"

"He is?" the brothers Menos and Mas asked

* * *

"You are nothing! You are a false dragon!" roared Malchior as he charged at BeastBoy yet again, slicing through the air like a knife through butter 

Whipping his tail around BeastBoy caught Malchior by the neck, gripping it tightly before flinging the dragon around and around. When he was at the desire speed BeastBoy let go of Malchior, sending him down the street, crashing into a nearby burger place before sliding into a nearby hotdog stand.

"Why is BB destroying all my favorite places to eat…is this some kind of sick and twisted little revenge plan?" Cyborg asked

"Cyborg…" Robin scolded, giving his teammate the evil eye

"Right…gotta stop Malchior." Cyborg replied

With Starfire carrying Cyborg, Raven; Robin, BumbleBee; Aqualad, and Terra with Speedy, while Menos and Mas used their unbelievable speed, the Titans formed their battle plan. Since Malchior couldn't be captured within the book he came from the only way to defeat Malchior was to team up with BeastBoy and fight him as one. But defeating Malchior was only the second part of their problem. The first part would be to convince BeastBoy that he might not be able to defeat the fire-breathing lizard on his own. But being the stubborn, bullhead boy he was it would probably be hard to do so.

"BURN!" roared Malchior, unleashing a wave of fire at BeastBoy

With a beat of his wings BeastBoy disrupted the stream of flames, causing it to scatter in several different directions.

"Very well…my flames do not seem to harm you, but let us see how you handle this!" he said before muttering a series of strange words

For a few moments BeastBoy stared in confusion, as Malchior seemed to be babbling. But then suddenly an invisible force slammed down on him like a truck hitting him. Soon BeastBoy couldn't move a muscle and it took everything he had to keep standing but he was slowly being pushed lower and lower to the ground.

"Hmm…" Malchior chuckled "You may have great skill in that form, but I am the dread dragon, master of the dark arts. I know spells that are far beyond you comprehension. At the moment I could crush you into a pulp with a thought. But even I will admit that I used this spell as a last resort. You are actually a very powerful opponent. I can even go as far as say you are my rival. However this battle is over, you have lost." he told him, "I am merciful though…join me and I will spare you and your allies, though Raven is mine." he told him, "And choose wisely, you are completely helpless."

"No." BeastBoy replied, "Raven is my friend…won't let you hurt her."

"You are far too loyal to mere humans. Do you not realize you potential?" he asked, "You are more than human, far more. You may become whatever you so choose. You understand the earth better than most. Your power is great and it can become undefeatable, with the proper guidance."

BeastBoy growled at him menacingly but with his body the way it was he was in no position to do anything.

"It is the human within you that speaks that. If only you were a true dragon, then you would understand the vile creature that lives within you." Malchior said, "Humans are destroying this world and the creatures in it. You of all humans can see this, with your abilities, can you not?" he asked, his face now mere inches from BeastBoy

"I am not just an animal or just a human, I am BeastBoy." he told Malchior "Humans are not perfect, animals are not perfect but I don't care…I am what I am." he told Malchior

"Admirable…yet foolish." grunted Malchior, "I see I will not be able to convince you of your fault. You leave me no choice but to end you, though I see it as such a waste." Malchior said, bringing his claw high up, "Farewell."

But before the giant creature could put an end to BeastBoy's existence the street _itself_ flew at Malchior, crashing into him and crushing him under its weight.

"BeastBoy!" someone cried, their voice positively female

With Malchior's concentration broken BeastBoy was able to rise once again to look back to see his friends making their way over to him. Once again trying to persuade them to go away he roared at them, hoping that would make them leave, but a reply from Raven changed that.

"You idiot!" she yelled, causing BeastBoy to look at her in confusion, "You cannot defeat Malchior on you own!" she told him "We are a team and the only way to beat him is as one." she told him, "Get that through your thick head."

If he could only talk but Raven did the talking for him.

"Listen BeastBoy, we are here no matter what, so deal with." She told him

A series of nods from the other Titans confirmed that fact. Seeing that his friends would not back down BeastBoy sighed, knowing that it would be pointless to argue with them.

"I will destroy you all." Muttered Malchior as he rose from the debris

But as he did so the Titan's attack had already been underway. A speedy little blur crashed into Malchior, causing him to stumble back. From the blur Malchior could see Menos pulling Mas along, Mas blowing Malchior a raspberry as they fled. Before Malchior could retaliate a series of arrows hit him, colliding into him like bullets, followed by Starbolts and Electro-disks that exploded on contact, raking his body in forceful heat. A second wave off attacks hit him as a sonic wave ripped through the air, crashing into Malchior's face and an electrified boulder crashed into him, both knocking him for a loop and electrocuting him at the same time. But even with this brutal assault Malchior was still ready for battle, but he was dazed long enough for BeastBoy to take hold of him, wrapping the dread dragon up and taking him into the air.

"What are you doing?" Malchior roared as he tried to free himself

"Stopping this fight." BeastBoy replied as he flew higher and higher

When BeastBoy was at the desire height, nearly to the clouds he made a sharp U-turn, coming back down to the surface in a dive-bombing fashion. Their speed sharply increased on their way down as BeastBoy let gravity do its job. It was not until they reentered the city did BeastBoy see fit to let go of Malchior, throwing him straight at the ground. Malchior was moving too fast to stop himself and crashed landed into the street, completely collapsing it on impact.

"**_ROOOAAAAARRRRR!_**" Malchior roared from the brutal attack

This time the Titans awaited Malchior, making sure that he wouldn't take them for surprise a second time. Slowly Malchior floated out of the hole created, battered and bruised. Looking at his adversaries he saw that he was vastly outnumber and outmatched. The smart thing to do would be to retreat to fight another day.

"Do not think this is the end Titans, I shall return." He told them, making his leave

"No way." yelled BeastBoy as he let his own wings spread to give pursuit

Malchior turned to glare at BeastBoy and the same invisible force that had held him before returned, only this time it was more centralized, hitting BeastBoy in his shoulder. A loud crack was heard as the shoulder became dislocated, hindering BeastBoy's ability to fly. With the only Titan that would have a chance to keep up with the dread dragon incapacitated Malchior took off, high in the sky. Before long Malchior was gone, he had escaped.

"Damn." cursed Robin, a potential threat still on the loose

"BeastBoy!" cried Terra, running to the large creature known as BeastBoy

BeastBoy tried to rise, but with no feeling in his left arm or wing he continued to stumble. But the searing pain in his shoulder began to relax and when he looked to his side he saw Raven there, a blue aura around his shoulder as she used her powers to heal him. With a small pop the shoulder was realigned as the pain dissipated. With his bones properly in place he could safely relax and transform back into his human form, which he did with no haste. Slowly his body began to shrink as his tail slithered into his body, his horns lessened in size and his wings melded with his back. Soon his human form came into view as his clothing began to appear from under his skin. His head reverted to a more human shape while his hair grew back on his head. Finally his snout became a face until he became recognizable as BeastBoy.

"I don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon." BeastBoy joked, rubbing his shoulder

"When do you ever _think?_" joked Raven, a small grin on her face

BeastBoy returned that grin but was enveloped by the geomancer known as Terra. Holding him tightly Terra was completely overjoyed that BeastBoy was relatively okay.

"I've missed you so much." She muttered as she buried her face into his shoulder

"Terra." mumbled BeastBoy as he returned the hug, rather awkwardly but with feeling

"The day just gets weirder and weirder, doesn't it?" Cyborg asked Robin

"Yes, it does." replied a tired Robin

* * *

The tower was damaged but nothing too severe as the Titans trudged in, bodies aching from the previous fights. It would be imperative for them to get some rest, should the army of Insectoids show themselves yet again, not to mention Malchior, but first some questions had to be answered. The first and foremost they had to figure out what happened to the witch.

"I fought her." Terra said "She is very powerful and lethal. I had to fight with everything I had to keep her at bay." She replied

"Did you defeat her?" Robin asked

"No, she ran off. I don't know where she is now." Terra replied

"Well, I have an idea of where she could be hiding out, but rushing in there without a plan would be fool-hearty." Robin replied

Second on the agenda was how the Titans were going to deal with Malchior. With no enchanted book to seal him in it seemed the Titans would have to rely on BeastBoy and his new transformation…if it happened to work at all.

"Malchior is a threat, maybe even more so than the witch and her army." Replied Robin "Dealing with him may be more important than dealing with the witch." He told the Titans

"Well if that's the case then we'll need some way to actually _deal _with him in the first place." Replied BumbleBee

"To defeat Malchior we need to work as one…all of us." Robin replied, looking at all the Titans currently in the room, "It'll be hard, but if we work as a team then we should be able to handle even him." Robin told them

"Well then, looks like we'll be hanging here for a while." replied Speedy, plopping down on the sofa

"Yeah, make yourself right at home." quipped Raven

"Hey Ter…" began BeastBoy, but Terra had already left the room

BeastBoy arose from his sitting position and left the common room. Raven looked onward, noticing the look on his face and knowing that the next few moments would be awkward for the changeling, the girl he cared about more than anything returning out of thin air in the middle of a big battle.

"This isn't going to be good." She muttered

It didn't take long for BeastBoy to find Terra, having a feeling where she went. Even though the room had been abandoned for quite some time, it still looked relatively clean, only a small layer of dust cover the many objects in Terra's old room. As if time hadn't affected it the same mirror box that BeastBoy had made for Terra so long ago still laid atop her bed, though dusty, when opened it revealed the reflected image of the girl BeastBoy held close to his heart.

"Terra." a voice said and the aforementioned girl turned to come face-to-face with the boy that gave so much for her

"Please BeastBoy, I know what you're going to say." she said, before he had a chance to speak "You're happy I'm back…I know you are. You want to tell me everything that happened after I was imprisoned. You want to tell me how you feel, that you…" she trailed off, turning back to the mirror box

"Terra…I'm just glad I can talk to you again." he said, smiling

"BeastBoy, do not make this any better than it is." she said, her voice growing monotone

"What…why? You're back!" he cried out, "Shouldn't this be great?" he asked

"I didn't want to come back." she said, never skipping a beat

"Why?" he asked, distraught

"I didn't want to have to go through this?"

"Through what?"

"BeastBoy, you want everything to go back to the way it was before I was imprisoned, before I began to work for Slade. You want all that despair to go away, but it can't, it never will. I may not be under Slade's control anymore, but what happened will always stay."

"But Terra, I know you're sorry for all of that. We've forgiven you, I've forgiven you!" he said

"I know that, and I am grateful for that." she said "But I could apologize a thousand times and the memories of what once was will never return. I have missed far to much to be a part of your life again and I cannot simply start over." she said, turning back toward him and walking over

"Terra, why can't you…why can't we be together?" he asked

"BeastBoy, this is more than us. You won't admit it but what you feel for me has lessened greatly over the years. You're affection has…shifted since then." she told him

"I…"

"Don't deny it, it won't do either of us any good." she replied "BeastBoy, I love you, I always will, but I cannot _be_ with you, that is the problem. We are two different people now." she explained "If I had never joined Slade then maybe we could be together, but it was my mistake that caused both mine and your happiness that day, and trying to bring that back would only cause more pain." she said "Remember this BeastBoy." she said, bringing his face toward her own, "I will always be there when you need me, always. But do not delve on me for I'm a lost cause. BeastBoy, live your life without hanging onto the thought of me…if you truly love me then you will understand that." Terra said, bringing her lips to his

The kiss the beautiful, affectionate, and assuring allowed years of waiting to be released in one full-blown kiss. BeastBoy began to fall under the spell of the kiss and was ready to hold onto Terra and never let go, but Terra pulled away before that could happen, thus freeing BeastBoy from the shackles he bore of the memories of her; even if he didn't realize it.

"Terra, I'm…not sure." he said, after breaking from the kiss's pull

"I know it's hard BeastBoy, but you're the bravest person I know, you'll pull through." she said, smiling

"Thanks Terra." he whispered, embracing her

"You're welcome."

"Ahem."

Turning to the source of the voice BeastBoy and Terra discovered it to be Raven, though she was not alone. Every other Titan in the tower was staring at this display, since it was happening at the door of the room.

"Are you two done?" Raven asked

"Uh…yeah dudes, fine and dandy." Replied BeastBoy

"Good, because we have a lot of work to do BeastBoy, and you're my number one assistant." replied Raven

"More book runs?" he whined

"Yep."

"Aw man."

"Come on you." she said, taking hold of BeastBoy and dragging him to her room

"Man, wish I had recorded that." commented Speedy

"Welcome back my favorite rock 'n roller." came Cyborg, grinning

"Good to be back." replied Terra, "Though, it's strange seeing Raven letting BeastBoy into her room."

"Things have changed girl, things have changed." replied Cyborg

"Yes, they have." she replied, pondering a thought

--

"Those Titan! I will destroyed them utterly." roared the voice of a female

Deep within a cave the Witch, with her remaining minions, ranted about how much pain she was going to cause the Titan the next time she attacked, but with most of her army gone her next attack would have to be more calculated.

"First, we must find a new area to take refuge in, for those Titans will be quick to come here and fight us." she said, guiding her forces out of the cave

Some of the Insectoids took the large mirror that resided in the cave as they took their leave, seeing it as their source of power. With the utmost care they carried the mirror, making sure that nothing befell it.

"That dragon…maybe I can use him to enact my revenge." she pondered as she walked out of the cave "His own plans will help to aid me while I take the opportunity to unleash the ultimate demon of the mirror." she said "Those Titans will fall to this demon, and the green one will be mine."

* * *

Hoped you readers liked that chapter. I actually had fun writing it, it sorta let me get out some thoughts I had about certain things, so writing it was more of a comfort to me than just letting other people read it. Well, tell me what you think. The next chapter will be out soon. 


	16. ENGARDE!

Here comes another chapter of Seeing Life In a Different Perspective, enjoy.

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The mayor of the city had called the Titans, wondering when the citizens of Jump City could return. After checking out the cave the Witch had resided in the Titans found nothing and a mind sweep by Raven showed that Malchior was nowhere to be found, at the moment. The Titans though were still skeptical about letting the citizens return to the city, but pressure from the mayor, telling the Titans that the lives of the citizens and the workers of the city _had _to continue, forced the Titans to make the decision that the city was safe enough. In essence it was, with the threat of war averted, but with the threat of Malchior still out their the Titans had to remain on guard, incase he tried an attack. Unlike the evacuation of the city, which had only taken a few hours, due to the rush, the reinsertion of all the city's citizens took a little longer, as they had to move through debris that littered the city after the attack. However, use to destruction like this the citizens of Jump City quickly went to work to repair the destruction and resume their lives. In less than a week the city was returned to a suitable living area, as much of the vital construction was now complete. People went back to their jobs and life continued as it normally did in Jump City, almost as if nothing had ever happened.

"Quick to get back to life." Terra commented

"Always are." replied Raven

At the moment the Titans were taking shifts, searching for Malchior and the Witch, but all searches had come up empty. At the moment Raven, Terra, BeastBoy, Starfire, and BumbleBee were currently in the tower as the others were out searching. Starfire was concocting a nice dinner for the returning Titans while Raven and Terra were in the common room, Terra checking the computers while Raven was busy reading one of her tombs, hoping to discover a way to seal Malchior. Meanwhile BeastBoy and BumbleBee were performing a few minor repairs on the tower.

"Yo B, can you hand me a monkey wrench?" BumbleBee asked, her hand outstretched for the tool

"_Ooh Ahh!_" cried a small simian, monkey wrench in paw

"Very funny." BumbleBee muttered, before taking the wrench

"And that one always gets people." BeastBoy said after morphing back to human form

"What, the little green people in your head." BumbleBee joked as she tightened numerous bolts

"Ha, now who's the bad comedian." he told her

"Whatever." she said, before silence fell between the two

Neither BumbleBee nor BeastBoy were good at long silences and the craving to say something was getting to them. However, it was BumbleBee who broke the silence before BeastBoy.

"So B, what's your deal with Terra?" BumbleBee asked out of curiosity

"Well…you know…" he muttered, slightly embarrassed

"It's not a big thing, you can tell me." She said

"Well, she said she wants to just be friends." he replied

"Oh…well, sucks to be you." she said

"Thank you, I feel _so_ much better." BeastBoy replied, sarcasm dripping at his words

"Sorry, sorry, but you know what happens when a girls say they just want to be friends." BumbleBee said

"Yeah, I know…none of the good stuff." he muttered

"Well, at least you got that…and who knows, you might get a little somethin', somethin' on the side." she said

"You sure you're a _girl?_" BeastBoy asked

"Are you sure you're a _man_?" she shot back

"Okay, I deserve that."

"Don't worry about it, all I'm saying is that if your not with her then what are you going to do?" she asked

"About what?" he asked

"You boys are _so dense_." she muttered "About Raven!" she practically yelled

"What about her?" he asked

"Don't give me that, I've been noticing those looks between you and her. You got the hots for her, don't ya?" she asked

"You crazy! I never said I like her." he defended

"Never said you didn't." She countered

BeastBoy sighed and wished BumbleBee would jump into a well.

"Raven's my pal, a real close pal, kinda like an older sister. I don't like her like that though!" he replied

"Please, the way ya'll are always hanging out and stuff, and then the stuff Cyborg told me…" she began

"What did Cyborg say!" he shrieked

"Something about an incident one morning." she replied, tightening the last bolt

"Nothing happened!" he yelled

"Oh, _nothing _**happened**…" she quipped

"I'm gonna kill Cy…" he muttered

"Look, unless you want Raven to be 'just a friend' like Terra, I suggest you go about doing something to tell her how you feel."

"We are just friends!" he yelled

"_Sure…_"

BeastBoy sighed again; hoping something heavy would fall on BumbleBee.

"Okay, _hypothetically _if I did like Raven, **which I don't!**" he said, "What would I do?" he asked

"Well, I'm not a boy and Raven's not a normal girl so this is gonna to be hard, but first things first…" she began

"Yeah?"

"Hand me that power drill." She said

"Huh? Oh, here." he said, handing her the tool "So…what's first?" he asked

"What do ya like about her?" she asked, beginning to drill

"Well…" he thought, thinking back "She's real smart, if not having a _smart mouth_." he said

"Yeah, yeah." she said, goating him to continue as she drilled

"She's really strong…broke my arm once…and a leg…and my pelvis." he replied

BumbleBee gave him an odd look after that little explanation.

"I'm scared to ask, but how did she break your pelvis?" she asked

"Landed on her funny once, she didn't exactly like it." he replied

"How funny?"

"Well, 'made fun of for a week' funny."

"Ehh…that funny." she muttered "Okay, other than the fact that she can hurt you, what else do you like about her?" BumbleBee asked

"Well, I guess that she has her own way of being nice and she lives life her own way, she's unique and I like unique, I'm unique." he replied

"No kidding."

"I mean, some bright colors wouldn't _kill_ her, but she knows how to wear what she wears."

"Uh huh…I'm hoping you mean _when_ she wears things."

"Hey…I have dignity, I would never peep on a girl…well, and get caught." He said

"Remind me to lock doors around you."

"Kidding...kidding." He said, "I'd at least make sure it be worth it." He said, grinning

She shook her head in disdain.

"Okay, let's move away from perv tendencies and get back to the good stuff."

"Hey, you were just saying that I should get going and _do _stuff." he said, defending his case

"Fine…what else?" she asked

"Uh…well, the best thing I can say about her is that no matter what I could trust her." he said "Probably more than myself." he said

"Huh?"

"Nothing, I just trust her a lot." He said

"Oh…well, since we have all this, the next thing to do is to find a way to tell her this without really telling her this."

"What?"

"Don't worry, you'll get it." BumbleBee replied, taking a large sheet of metal and placing it on the wall, "Hold this while I get some screws." she said

"Sure."

Walking over to the wall BeastBoy took hold of the sheet of metal while BumbleBee went into the next room to get screws, however that wasn't he only thing she was doing.

"Did ya get all that?" she asked, talking to Starfire through her communicator

"I wish I had not." Muttered Starfire, an uneasy look on her face

"Boys will be boys, can't change that, but we can change the way those two feel for each other…operation 'Get Together' is a go." BumbleBee replied

"Right." replied Starfire before the communicator went dead

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Perched atop a mountain a large creature stared off into the horizon, contemplating his next move.

"Those Titans, and that boy, troublesome individuals indeed." he thought, "Defeating them will not be easy. I must first take down the green one and Raven. With them defeated the rest will follow…hopefully." he thought, his wings moving about lightly

His thoughts then shifted toward the Witch and her reason for attacking the city.

"Yet again, someone with power trying to take a city…I thought I had seen the end of it. I must be careful of that Witch as well, she may turn on me if I cross her path." he thought "Yes, if I plan to destroy the Titans and this witch I must first prepare myself, cause some sort of chaos and allow them to fall into place." he thought

With a grin adorning his snout the large dragon concocted his plan that he hoped granted him a swift victory in the battles to come.

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"Raven! It is completed!" Starfire cried happily, her _lunch _finally complete

"Starfire, I will not eat whatever you made if it moves, looks at me, or decides to strike up a conversation." Raven replied

"Oh Raven, you joke…do you not?"

"Actually…"

"Actually she'd be happy to try out whatever you made." Terra replied before Raven said something she'd regret

"Oh thank you Raven, and Terra, please sit and enjoy." Starfire said

"Yeah, thanks Terra." Raven muttered, glaring at the geomancer

Sitting at the kitchen counter both girls prepared for the worst but they were surprised when Starfire brought out what seemed like a mix between meatloaf and a salad.

"Well, it looks okay…what is it?" Raven asked, poking at the meat to see if it would bite at her

The strange meal didn't fight back as Starfire cut pieces from it, which relieved Terra and Raven about a few insecurities they had about the food, yet tasting it would be the deciding factor. Terra, never being a picky eater, dug into her food first and put it into her mouth, thoroughly tasting it to see if whatever Starfire had cooked would kill her. Surprisingly nothing happened and Terra actually smiled.

"Tastes like beef mixed with a fruit salad." she replied, hungrily digging into her plate

"Yeah…well, I see that some things haven't change." Replied Raven, taking a small bite of her meal

"Terra, I am so glad that you have returned to us, the time with you gone has been most painful." Replied Starfire

"Thanks Starfire…I'm glad to be free." She mumbled

"It's more than that, isn't it?" Raven asked

"Heh, always could read me like a book, eh Raven?" Terra replied, with a slight grin

"Always had to." Raven replied before realizing what she said

Starfire began to feel uneasy as a slight tension entered the room but Terra seemed more relaxed as she continued.

"No, I deserved that. I did horrible things and even when I'm forgiven those things will still haunt me, I just hope I can repent for everything I've done." Terra said "More please." she said enthusiastically

Raven shook her head, trying her best not to laugh, knowing that no matter what Terra would always be Terra.

"Guess I'll have to live with that." she thought

"Terra, I must ask though, why have you given up your quest for the affection of BeastBoy? BeastBoy and yourself were quite close." Starfire asked

"I've been out of BeastBoy's life for too long…he's changed…in certain ways, way I can never adjust to now. I love him, but it's best if I don't try to push a relationship on him, not now." she said

"Oh…so that means you may try in the future?" Starfire asked

"I'm not sure, maybe, maybe not." she replied, "But it's not like I'd get jealous or anything if he had a girlfriend or something." she joked

"'BeastBoy' and the word 'girlfriend' don't coincide." Raven commented, "He's a nice guy mind you, but when it comes to women he has no clue how to talk to them."

"Yeah, I remember, when we first me he could barely remember his name." Terra replied

"However Raven, you do think of him as a nice guy?" came Starfire, "What other positive things do you think of our friend?" she asked

"BeastBoy, other than being idiotic at times and saying the wrong thing at the wrong time?" she asked "He's sweet." she replied

"Really?"

"Yes, when he's not doing something stupid or perverted, like the incident when I broke his pelvis." she replied

"His pelvis?" Terra asked

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh."

"Raven…BeastBoy must have qualities you find affectionate in your relationship…" Starfire began

"Relationship?" Terra questioned, eyeing Raven suspiciously

"There is no relationship." Raven replied, "Starfire has _always _tried to play matchmaker. Ironic though that _I _was the one that finally got her and Robin together." She replied

"So, finally?" Terra asked

"Finally." replied Raven

"So you are saying that you feel no romantic tendencies toward BeastBoy?" Starfire asked

"BeastBoy is more of a cute, annoying little brother. I like him, but it's simply platonic." she said

"But, you two would make a cute couple." Terra commented, rubbing her chin

"Not funny."

"I hear the wedding bells." came Starfire

"I'm not laughing." Raven muttered

Both girls started to giggle, which only proved to tick off Raven further. Luckily they stopped before things started to float around.

"In all the seriousness I do wish that you would reconsider Raven, having a person to share intimacies with is quite enjoyable." Starfire replied

"I do not want to know what you and Robin do when you are alone, but BeastBoy is a friend, remember that." Raven said

"Dammit!" someone yelled from down the hall

"That sounded like BumbleBee." Terra commented

"She must have stubbed her toe, or something." Raven replied

"Yes…that is it…" Starfire replied, rather suspiciously "I shall see to our friend and her stubbed toe." she replied before leaving the two girls to eat

Starfire found BumbleBee down the hall, communicator in hand; a look of anger in her eyes.

"Damn Raven…can't you just admit your feelings and get it over with? Frigid…"

"BumbleBee, I hear you yelling?" called Starfire

"Oh Star…man, that Raven." BumbleBee growled

"I am sorry friend, I could not convince Raven."

"BeastBoy wasn't easy either. He's thinking about, but there's not certainty he'll bite." she replied "I've never met two people who were so stubborn, even Sparky isn't this freaking stubborn." she muttered

"I see, BeastBoy sees Raven as only a friend as well?" Starfire asked

"Yeah, if we plan to get them together we'll have to take some drastic measures." BumbleBee suggested

"Like what?" Starfire asked

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As the day went on the remaining Titans returned to the tower, no luck on finding Malchior or the Witch.

"I guess the Witch found a new hole to hide in." replied Robin, grumbling somewhat

"Don't worry man, we'll find her." replied Cyborg, trying to cheer up his leader

"I guess, but I'm more worried about Malchior." he replied "We have no way of tracking him unless he's close and Raven senses him."

"Yeah, BeastBoy tried to get his scent but Malchior's been masking it and he's too far out of range for any of my scanners." Cyborg replied

"Being a dragon he's probably perched somewhere high." Aqualad commented, "Maybe an aerial search is in order?" he suggested

"You hate aerial searches." Speedy replied

"Did I say I was going to do this?" Aqualad asked

"I don't like the fact though we let Menos and Mas go on by themselves." Robin commented

"You know those two, full of energy, besides, they'll be fine." Cyborg replied

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Meanwhile, running across the flat open plains, the brother Menos and Mas continued to search, even with the sun setting, however they did not notice that the very villains they were searching for had turned them from the hunters to the hunted.

"The fast ones…" someone muttered atop a large plateau, "This could work to my advantage."

"Brother, do you hear something?" Mas asked, looking around

Menos shook his head, until a loud gushing noise could be heard.

"What is that?" they both asked at once

Just then a bright light descended on the two brothers. It took them only moments to realize that the bright light was actually a searing ball of fire coming down at them.

"¡Mirada hacia fuera!" (Look out!) They cried, jumping out of the way of the ball before it could roast them alive

However that only proved to be a decoy as something very large pounced on them, impeding their progress and separating them, thus removing their powers for the time being.

"Dragón." Muttered Mas

"Malchior." Muttered Menos

Dangling the two high into the air, Mas in the right paw and Menos in the left, the dread dragon glared at them with fierce determination, not with spite as they thought he would. A smiled curled onto his lips before he spoke to the brothers in a demeanor that vastly contradicted his appearance.

"This is a simple request…tell the green one I challenge him to a duel, to the death. However there are conditions. The first is that he may only battle me in that false dragon form of his. Secondly, and I strictly enforce this, that no one may aid us in battle, meaning the rest of you Titans must keep out of this battle, or I will personally destroy your city and all the humans living in it. In terms with this agreement I will not us my dark magic against him or flee prematurely, as long as he keeps up his end of the agreement." Malchior said, dropping the twins

Before they had a chance to reply Malchior's wings shot up and flapped, taking him into the air and creating a gust of wind powerful enough to knock the two off their feet.

"Tell him I will be waiting west of your city." He said to them as he disappeared into the night

By the time they recovered Malchior was long gone, leaving them to their confusion on the entire matter. Meanwhile, another, more sinister character, who had been watching the entire event unfold grinned devilishly, coming up with a plan of her own.

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"DINNER!" yelled a deep voice

Titans congregated from all parts of the tower to the common room after hearing the sound of the tower's resident cybernetic cook call out for them.

"Could ya have yelled any louder sparky?" asked BumbleBee as she flew in "The people in Europe coulda heard ya."

Completely ignoring her, Cyborg turned to Starfire, who had been helping him in his preparation for dinner. After her successfully lunch Starfire felt as if she could handle helping Cyborg for dinner. Reluctantly he agreed, hoping that whatever Starfire made wouldn't kill the others, though whatever Starfire had made it smelled delicious in a weird alien cuisine sort of way.

"Finally, something to eat around." Muttered Speedy as he, Aqualad, Terra, Robin, and Raven followed him in, all taking their places around the dining table

"Yo, where's green bean?" Cyborg asked "If he ain't here soon I'm gonna throw his dinner out." He said

"I think he's still in his room, sleeping." Replied BumbleBee

"That boy's always sleeping." Cyborg muttered

"Well, he's metabolic rate is higher than any other human so he has to sleep and eat more often." Replied Raven

A silence filled the room as all the Titans zeroed in on Raven, perplexed that she new of BeastBoy's metabolic rate.

"What…I asked him once and he told me." She replied as if it were everyday news

"You seem to know a lot about him…" replied BumbleBee, a sly grin creeping across her face

"Eh…" she shrugged, "I know as much as he knows about me." She replied

"Ohh…" BumbleBee cooed, raising an eyebrow suggestively "What _else_ do you know about him?" she asked

"What's it to you?" Raven asked

"Nothing, nothing. I'm just saying, when you know a lot about a boy certain things come out in the open." Replied BumbleBee

"Like what?" Raven asked, glaring at the stripped girl

"You know." BumbleBee replied, returning Raven's glare with equal passion

The rest of the Titans backed away, letting the two girls continue with their glaring contest, not knowing the true intent of what they were talking about.

"Just admit Raven." BumbleBee said, growing irate

"Admit what?" Raven asked, her own temper beginning to slip

"You and BeastBoy…" she replied, hoping that Raven would get the message

"Yeah…and what?" she asked "What about us?"

"You're worst than BeastBoy!" BumbleBee yelled, frustrated "Just admit that you li…"

"Senor BeastBoy!" yelled the unified voices of Menos and Mas, bursting into the common in a complete frenzy

Zipping around like mosquitoes the brothers went on their frantic search for the green Titan, plowing through Titans as they did so.

"Hold up ya'll, what's the problem!" Cyborg practically yelled, trying to stop the rampaging duo

Cyborg dove for the brothers, but missed, crashing into Speedy and crushing the archer with his immense weight.

"Get off of me!" he yelled as Cyborg smothered him

"Raven!" yelled Robin, turning to the sorceress, who understood immediately

Her hand shot out while she chanted her magical words, her powers coming to her fingertips.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthoss." she said, her powers reaching out to the brothers

Before they realized what hit them Raven's powers had taken hold of their legs, tripping them up just enough to separate them; at the same time calming them down.

"Ohh…" muttered Cyborg as he stood up, rubbing his head

"My ribs…" muttered Speedy, rubbing his side

"Alright you two, what's up?" BumbleBee asked

"Where is…" began Menos, "…Senor BeastBoy?" Mas asked

"Uh…his room, why?" She asked

"The dragon…" Mas began, "…Malchior…" replied Menos, "…Has challenge him to a duel." They replied as one

All eyes went wide in the room as the brothers explained to the Titans the terms of Malchior's challenge and the consequences should BeastBoy break the rules. After a general discussion the Titans buckled down, coming to a conclusion about Malchior's challenge.

"Well I guess we should let them fight, avoid all the trouble." Speedy replied

"Well, I don't like to agree with Speedy, but he may have a point, if it'll avoid the city' destruction." Aqualad commented

"We can't be sure that Malchior will keep up his end of the agreement." Raven said, grumbling slightly

"Besides, he's a threat to the city either way, we need to bring him down." Robin replied, "Let's wake BeastBoy." He said, turning to the door

It didn't take long for the entire group of Titans to make it to BeastBoy's room, with Robin knocking on the door to get him.

"BeastBoy, wake up?" he said, getting no reply "BeastBoy!" he yelled, still no reply

"The one time we need the kid to wake up and he's as dead as a doorknob." Cyborg muttered

Grumbling, Robin inputted a series of numbers into the door's emergency lock, thus opening the door. Without restraint Robin barreled in, catching sight of a lump in BeastBoy's bed, glaring at it, knowing that BeastBoy was asleep beneath the covers. However just as he got over to the bunk and was ready to rip the covers off the changeling Raven spoke up, her tone quiet, but audible.

"He's not there." She said

Robin raised an eyebrow, pulling the covers off and verifying Raven's comment, seeing as it was only a pile of pillows under the covers, a mock attempt to fool the others.

"Where is he?" Cyborg asked

"Not in the tower." Raven replied, "I can't sense him." She said

"And his communicator's right here." Robin replied, pulling the covers back further to reveal the device beneath them

"You don't think he already knows of the challenge sent by Malchior?" Starfire asked

"Probably." Robin replied, "Must have took off not too long ago." He said

"Idiot." muttered Raven

"Come on, maybe we can still find them?" Robin replied, leaving the room

"How, all we have is that Malchior's meeting him west of the city. We don't how _west_ he's talking about, he could be **anywhere.**"

"Should we split up and start searching?" Aqualad asked

"No, it would take too long, we need to find them _before_ they fight." Robin replied

"I might have an idea." Cyborg replied

In the common room the Titans gathered around Cyborg and the main screen as he brought of a topographical map of the city. Explaining the map Cyborg focused his search west of the city.

"Here." he said, points to a group of small islands

"If anything they'll be around here." Cyborg said

"Perfect." Robin replied "Titans Go!" he ordered

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Streaking through the sky a small pterodactyl followed its nose, picking up on the scent of a certain dragon that wanted a fight with him.

"If I fight and win then everything will be okay." he thought in his head "But that's _if _I win."

BeastBoy was unsure of the entire challenge, but he knew he couldn't back down. Malchior was too much of a threat to do that. The problem was that the changeling wasn't even sure if he'd be able to transform into his dragon form. It sorta was a 'spur of the moment' thing. All he knew about it was that he was very calm when it happened, almost like he was sleeping. But he had just gone to sleep, so that option was out. He would have to come up with some other way to battle him in that form.

"This isn't gonna be fun?" he thought, just as his nose found Malchior's scent "Found it."

It didn't take long BeastBoy to find a large group of islands, Malchior's scent growing increasingly strong as he neared them, informing the changeling that Malchior had to be on one of the islands.

"Where is he?" he wondered, trying to zero in on the scent

However he didn't need to as a small ball of fire flew up toward him.

"What the…" he cried in his head, looking down only to see the dread dragon waving up to him, "Sure knows how to get someone's attention."

Flying up the dread dragon BeastBoy glared at him as he landed, morphing back to his human form and landing in front of him. Looking up at the enormous, imposing creature before him BeastBoy gathered his courage and spoke.

"You wanted me?" he asked

"And you came." replied Malchior, "I do hope those little fast humans informed you of my challenge correctly?" Malchior asked

"I know." he said

"Good, let us begin." Malchior replied, "Defend yourself."

"Wait." BeastBoy said

"What?" Malchior asked

"I have a better place to fight." he said, "But first, give me a couple seconds." He said

"Fine, have your time." Malchior replied

BeastBoy sat down on the ground and closed his eyes, beginning to concentrate, to try and find that one piece of DNA that allowed him to transform. Meanwhile, the other Titans were currently on route to BeastBoy's location, both teams taking their respectable T-Ships.

"I hope BeastBoy's okay." Replied Terra, concerned

"So I can kill him." Raven replied, frustrated

"Man, the boy and his women…" BumbleBee muttered, shaking her head in disdain

Okay, the islands should be coming into view any second now." Cyborg replied

As he said, the islands came into view, and before long the Titans could see Malchior, and BeastBoy, transforming into something very large.

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BeastBoy found it and took it, letting the strange transformation take over and change him into his most powerful form. His body grew and wings sprouted from his back as he slowly took the form of a large lizard like creature. After a few moments Malchior stood face to face with the BB dragon, a dragon that grunted with slight pain after exhorting himself so much in order to transform.

"Now then, let us battle." He said

But before they started he noticed a blue ship and orange ship coming up on them quickly.

"I said no assistance!" he roared, glaring at BeastBoy

"I knew they'd come." BeastBoy replied, "Their my friends, but they can't help me this time." he said, turning to the two ships

As he opened his large mouth, detaching his jaw in the progress a loud, piercing sound emanated from his throat, toward the two ships.

"That's noise…!" Aqualad screeched, holding his ears

Many of the other Titans did the same, while many of two ship's systems started going haywire, including many of Cyborg's systems.

"I've lost control, prepare for emergency landing!" yelled Robin as he tried to guide the T-Ship down safely

BumbleBee seemed to have similar problems and followed in the Titans' East ship.

"I see…" muttered Malchior, grinning

"Let's go, I know somewhere where even they can't follow us…I hope." BeastBoy said, taking flight

Malchior followed after the green dragon, flying high in the sky.

"We have to stop them." Ordered Robin, as the Titans climbed out of their T-Ships

Terra, Raven, Starfire, and BumbleBee took flight, quickly hauling tail and catching up with the two dragons. However, it soon became apparent that they couldn't keep up with the two as they went higher and higher and higher, high above the clouds until the stars began to come into the view. The thin air at this high altitude soon began to take its toll of the four girls, Terra being the first to pull back.

"Can't breath…" she wheezed, "Go on without me!" she yelled as best she could

BumbleBee was the next to lose it, as the air became too thin ever for her to keep up the chase.

"Damn." she muttered as Starfire and Raven continued to climb after them

"This is two high…" Raven thought, concentrating so that she could follow after, but before long the lack atmosphere affected her severely, causing to her break off from the pursuit before irreparable damage was caused to her body, "Only Starfire can catch them now." she thought before returning to the surface

"I am alone now." Starfire thought as she continued after, in the upper atmosphere of the planet

As her body adjusted to the change she stared at the two dragons that glared at each other intently, neither willing to back down. How they were able to survive so high up was unknown, but the lack of atmosphere didn't seem to affect them. In essence it appeared to free up their bodies, allowing for easier movement.

"What do I do?" she wondered as she listened to the dragons…well Malchior anyway

"It would seem that your idea was not able to stop _all_ of your allies." Replied Malchior, pointing to Starfire

"Yeah…" muttered BeastBoy, "But I won't let her stop me." He said

"We will see." Malchior replied

"BeastBoy…I am here, to assist you." she said to him, though she didn't know if she could help all that well against someone such as Malchior

Although, BeastBoy shook his head, informing her he didn't need or _want _her help.

"I do not understand…I am your friend and I must help you and…" she began, but a glare from BeastBoy silenced her

He couldn't speak to her, but that glare told her everything she needed to know. His friends were the reason he was fighting this battle, a battle only he could take part in. A battle had to fight for the safety of everyone. He didn't like the fact he had to battle alone, but he was determined to battle it out, in order to stop Malchior and his reign of terror. With a nod Starfire understood, heaving a heavy sigh as BeastBoy turned back to his adversary.

"Do be careful friend." She said as she began her descent

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Can you get them up and running?" Robin asked Cyborg

"Sorry man, but that yell fried all the delicate instruments in the two ships. I don't have the tools needed to fix them here." He told Robin

Robin sighed.

"There's a huge battle going on up their that I'm not sure neither BeastBoy or Starfire can handle on their own and none of us can get high enough to help them." he muttered, "There must be some way we can help them." he wondered

"You mean BeastBoy." Replied Raven, pointing to the sky

Robin and the others looked up to see a green comet flying down rapidly toward them. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that it was Starfire coming in fast.

"What's she doing?" Speedy asked as she descended onto the group

"Friends!" she cried out, though her expression was unlike her usual one of joy

"Star, why are you here…why aren't you helping BeastBoy?" Robin asked as she landed

"I wish that I could help our friend Robin, but BeastBoy has chosen to fight this battle alone…I do think that I would only get in the way against both daunting creatures." she replied

"So what…are we suppose to just sit here while he's up there killing himself?" Terra asked, on the verge of yelling

"There is nothing that we can do." Starfire replied, "BeastBoy is a very stubborn individual, he will fight this battle himself. He does not want our assistance only because he does not want any harm to come to us."

"Like I said, Idiot." Raven said

"I feel so helpless just sitting here." Muttered Terra "We can't even see if he's okay." she said

"Actually, that's not entirely true." Cyborg replied

"How?" Robin asked

"Well, if I can just do a little hacking…" he began, pushing a few buttons on his arm "Ah ha!" he cheered

"What?" Raven asked

"Well, I was able to hack into a nearby satellite and I'm getting a picture, sending it to your communicators." he said, pushing more buttons

They flipped their communicators on quickly, a paper-view screening of the battle that was about to unfold before them. At the moment the two dragons were simply hovering, glaring at each other, but the tension was mounting, the battle about to begin.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You should be honored. You will fight the dread dragon Malchior, the most powerful of all." Malchior replied

"Stop patting yourself on the back and let's do this?" BeastBoy replied, growling

"Quick to battle…I respect that." Malchior said "Alright then!" he yelled, charging BeastBoy

"**_ROAR!_**" roared BeastBoy, charging as well

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And that my readers, is suspense. What'll happen? Just wait until next chapter.


	17. Superpowers Collide

This is the next chapter in my story. Sorry it took _so _long. College started back up and I've been preoccupied with classes. Work before play and what not. I hope I can update soon.

* * *

_Beep…beep…beep…beep_

Slowly floating through space a small satellite beeped, its only way of acknowledgement high up in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Calmly it floated, zooming in on a certain location in the upper atmosphere of the planet, watching in splendor as a ferocious battle took place.

_Roooaaaarrrrrhhhhhh!_

Thunderous roars could be heard as two large beasts flew through the upper atmosphere, their pride, anger, and ferocity bellowing from deep within their throats as they battle one another.

_Cling! Clang! Shing!_

Claws connected, swiping at one another as incredible speeds, trying to rip each other to shreds with hardened bone strong enough to crush steel.

_Fwoosh!_

Flames, though not quite as strong because of the lack of oxygen, tore through the upper atmosphere, lighting it up in a spectacular, if not deadly, fireworks display.

"That idiot better be okay." Someone said, far below on the earth's surface as they watched this horrific battle unfold

"Raaah!" roared Malchior, once again charging at BeastBoy and swiping with his claws

But BeastBoy dodged to the left, avoiding the blow and countering with a swipe from his whip-like tail!

_Thwack!_

Malchior took the hit to his face, but didn't falter as he grabbed BeastBoy's tail and threw him with all the force he could muster, sending BeastBoy sailing away. BeastBoy quickly regained his balance in the air and shot forth toward Malchior, bringing his own claw back into attack position.

_Swish!_

BeastBoy missed; Malchior took the opportunity to retaliated, slamming into BeastBoy hard with a quick shoulder tackle followed by a powerful punch to the gut.

"Gaaah…" cried BeastBoy, feeling a wave of pain wash over him as the air was knocked out of him, leaving him momentarily defenseless

"This is it…" thought Malchior, going for the killing blow

Launching his neck forward like a spring Malchior aimed to snap BeastBoy's long neck with one quick movment, but the moment before impact BeastBoy retracted his neck and Malchior met with nothing but air.

"What the…" muttered Malchior, befuddled

It seemed the dragon-boy had complete and utter control over the muscles in his neck, having dodged by bending in a strange fashion to avoid Malchior's jaws.

"Impressive." Malchior replied, actually happy that the battle had not ended just yet

As Malchior watched BeastBoy moved through the air he noticed that it was not only BeastBoy's neck that moved in a strange fashion, but his entire body, almost serpentine in a sense. It was as if BeastBoy was dancing, no flaws in his movement, simply a streamline flow, like water. Slightly mesmerized by BeastBoy's movements Malchior never noticed BeastBoy quickly approach him. It was not until he was right on top of him did Malchior react, though not quick enough.

_Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_

BeastBoy's tail came in successions, a series of stinging slaps, piercing jabs, and powerful slams. All Malchior could do against the relentless onslaught was block, putting his forearms up to protect himself while he took a horrendous beating.

"Grrr…" he growled as he was being pummeled

BeastBoy left no room for error, repeating lashing out with is tail, pummeling him wildly with all that he was,

Then it all ended abruptly. Malchior pulled his arms from his face only to see BeastBoy turn, bringing his tail around quickly for a ferocious attack. The hit rocked Malchior's world, pushing him off the edge, "Enough!" he roared, growing irritated with this senseless beating

Ignoring the stinging attacks he threw his arm forward, latching onto BeastBoy's neck and holding tight. BeastBoy wrapped his still moving tail around Malchior's neck and squeezed as well.

"Grr…" muttered Beastboy

"Graah…" muttered Malchior

It soon became a battle of willpower, who would reside first, who needed air more than the other, whose neck would snap first? The muscles in BeastBoy's neck were powerful enough to contend with the muscles in Malchior's arms, but Malchior had the ability to endure longer.

"Gaaaa….aahhhh!" cried BeastBoy, his need for air greeter than Malchiors', his tail becoming limp

However, BeastBoy had managed to cause Malchior a great deal of discomfort, forcing the black dragon to loosen his own grip as he inhaled the much needed air. BeastBoy didn't waste anytime to get away, creating some distance between himself and Malchior as he breathed deep, taking care to keep Malchior in his direct line of sight.

* * *

Meanwhile… 

"I'm on the edge of my seat!" replied Speedy as he looked on at the battle taking place

"I should be charging for this." Muttered Cyborg, feeling like paper-view

Sitting in a semi-circle and using their communicators as relays the Titans were able to see the ferocious battle between Malchior and BeastBoy in all its glory.

"Go Senor BeastBoy!" cried Menos and Mas, "¡Tome ese dragón abajo!" they cheered

"Looks like they're taking a breather." Aqualad commented

"Not for long though." Replied Robin, noticing the glares that the two dragons were giving one another

"This is really…intense." Replied BumbleBee, seeing as no other word could describe this battle

"I do hope BeastBoy turns out to be victorious." Replied a concerned Starfire

"Me too?" replied Terra

Raven was the only Titan who didn't have a comment on the battle before her. She hardly even watched it, not wanting to see BeastBoy killing himself because he wanted to protect his friends.

"It's pointless." She thought, though in reality she was gravely concerned, knowing full well what Malchior was capable off, "He can't…can't win this." She thought, clutching her communicator to her heart, the feeling of despair creeping up upon her

"Look, they're at it again!"

* * *

Claws intertwined as the two dragons pushed against one another, trying to overpower the other. Muscles tensed, veins bulged, and teeth were gritted; the two dragons pushing with all their might, but Malchior slowly began to gain the upper hand, his brawn outmatching BeastBoy's. As BeastBoy started to falter a grin ran across Malchior's face, in an almost feral expression of the pleasure he felt by out-muscling BeastBoy, but BeastBoy was not to be beaten, starting with his tail he wrapped himself around Malchior and began to squeeze, causing to dread dragon to loose his green on the changeling as BeastBoy mimicked the action of that of an anaconda. 

"Get…off!" he roared, trying to pry BeastBoy off his body, but BeastBoy only tightened his grip, squeezing until Malchior's bones began to pop

Malchior's world began to get woozy, his bones and internal organs being squeezed beyond their limits as the multiple muscles in BeastBoy's body constricted him, crushing him with devastating force.

_Crack!_

Malchior's shoulder dislodged, rather violently, sending a wave a pain coursing through is body; pain that began to over take the dread dragon, causing him to tear beyond his control. But he had had enough and with his shoulder dislodged he was given the leverage needed to slip free; in the process gripping BeastBoy's abdomen and squeezing a pressure point, causing BeastBoy to loosen up slightly, just enough for Malchior to throw the green dragon off and away.

"Hmm…" muttered Malchior as he realigned his shoulder in one quick movement

_**Crack!**_

"This boy…he is quite the challenge, there is a chance I may lose this battle." Malchior thought, "I cannot hold back any longer…a pity though, he wastes his talents fighting to protect the humans." He said in disappointment, "I suppose there is no changing his mind on the matter though."

"Can't…keep this up." BeastBoy thought, visibly breathing hard and shaking, "How do I beat him." He thought, "Come on BeastBoy, think, THINK!"

"This is it…I will defeat him, with one move." Malchior thought, gathering flames into his throat

"It's a long shot, but it might work." BeastBoy thought, as he began to concentrate

Both dragons seemed to be in deep concentration, Malchior accumulating vast amounts off fire in his throat while BeastBoy's body began to change, its smooth exterior turning into a jagged look, as sharp spines grew from his back while the horns on his head grew in size. The new spines didn't simply appear on his back, like many of his transformations but grew, excrutiatingly slow; each causing a piercing pain to run through his body. He tried to hold back his whimpers of pain and discomfort but as the transformation moved into its final stages the changeling let loose a roar of pain he had no control over, slipping from his tongue as more spines lined his back.

_ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!_

"What is he doing?" Malchior wondered, his own attack beginning to have adverse affects on him as well

Not even Malchior's mighty throat could handle such a colossal amount of fire; beginning to burn the inside of his throat, but Malchior kept building, determined to end BeastBoy here and now. Soon the flames in his mouth turned a searing red-orange color and seeped from his mouth, trying to find an escape. Malchior's red eyes blazed intensely, summoning all his draconian strength to harness even greater depths of fire, to accumulate in his throat.

"This it it…the final blow!" Malchior thought, his attack at near completion

"Can't hold this form for very long." Thought BeastBoy, "Got to finish him now!"

With such power deep within his throat, Malchior could not speak, but the look in his eyes told BeastBoy all he needed to know, the changeling needed to strike now or be destroyed. His green wings spread wide before taking a beat, quickly propelling him forward, faster than he had even flown before.

"DIE!" Malchior roared, just as the ball of fire was released from his mouth

First, an intensely bright light appeared from Malchior's mouth along with a loud bang that came afterward. Finally the true attack emerged, though it was not as expected. Instead of a large fireball or an intense stream of fire, the blast of heat and flames that poured from Malchior's mouth was a swirling vortex of flames, like a drill of white hot fire that could easily eradicate any lesser being in a matter of seconds. The blast moved incredibly fast, making it near impossible for BeastBoy to avoid, though avoiding it was the least of his concerns; because unknown to Malchior, BeastBoy's new form held secrets that not even the changeling fully understood, one of those secrets happened to be the ability to repel fire, which he did, with some effort. By spinning vertically at a high speed, resembling that of a buzzsaw--what with all the spines and spikes that protruded from his body--BeastBoy cut his way through the oppressive fire, but even with this attack the sheer heat being unleashed upon him was extremely intense and the intensity only grew as he closed the gap between Malchior and himself.

"This…this is impossible…how is he doing this!" roared Malchior in his head

Flames flew in random directions as BeastBoy buzzed his way through the attack, roasting the changeling in process. BeastBoy, use to intense pain, kept fighting his way toward Malchior at the high speeds he was spinning at; nonetheless he could feel his resolve slipping and the urge to retreat growing and growing the closer he came toward the dread dragon.

"I'll roast him alive!" Malchior roared once again, increasing intensity

More flames poured from Malchior's mouth and when the extra power collided with BeastBoy the green dragon's progression was stopped, though he was still spinning, albeit the spinning slowed down somewhat. However, this proved to be a hindrance rather than being helpful, since the sharp expenditure of energy tapped Malchior out, his firebreath ceasing abruptly. The sudden stopped caused BeastBoy to shoot off toward Malchior like a slingshot, all-control nearly null as BeastBoy's spinning increased drastically.

"Damn…" was all Malchior could mutter before BeastBoy hit

Having used mostly all his energy in his devastating fireblast attack Malchior didn't have the strength to avoid BeastBoy's wild attack, resulting in BeastBoy grating against Malchior's hide like a spinning cheese grater. Malchior watched in sheer horror as pieces of his flesh sail off into the sky before falling to the earth bellow. No sound escaped Malchior's mouth as BeastBoy dug into Malchior. The red blaze in his eyes was lost and for the first time in over a millennium his pupils were shown, though they had contracted vastly as the pain took him. However, the storm in his mind had yet to be quelled, his anger that BeastBoy was beating him spurring him on to finish the battle. He was vaguely aware that he was losing conciousness, all he could think about was taking BeastBoy down with him, thus making him grab the spinning dragon, stop said spinning in almost an instant, wrapping around him two large, though severely weakened arms around BeastBoy's wings and let gravity take hold of the two giants.

"Let go!" roared BeastBoy, trying in vain to break free

Malchior didn't hear him as all sound was now muted due to the sheer pain he was feeling. His body was numbing over, yet he still held his vice like grip; maybe his subconscious working against the other dragon.

"Graah!" roared BeastBoy as he dug his fangs into Malchior's shoulder

But the old phrase, 'his bark was worst than his bite' would have fit perfectly here, since BeastBoy's bite had no real _bite _behind it, being nothing more than a futile nibble.

"We are…the last…of out kind." He heard Malchior say, more so to himself than BeastBoy

"What!" yelled BeastBoy as they fell, increasing in speed

Malchior's pupils dilated and BeastBoy saw that the dragon had an almost humble look to him, the blue eyes he held vastly contradicting the black of his hide. Malchior almost seemed…sad, for whatever reason.

"It is…only natural…that we go…together." He said, grinning slightly, despite himself

"No way…I'm not gonna die here!" yelled BeastBoy, applying as much force into his bite as he could muster, though not much, "I still have things to due, and friends, I can't die now!"

This still wasn't enough to move Malchior's arms and the two continued to plummet.

"I WON'T DIE NOW!" BeastBoy bellowed, struggling with all his might

"BeastBoy!" someone yelled from below

BeastBoy detached his jaws from Malchior, craning his neck in a weird fashion to look down, too see Starfire flying up to them

"Star." He thought, hoping that by some miracle she could pry him loose from Malchior

Matching her speed with the falling dragons Starfire did just that…or more accurately _tried _to do that, even her monstrous strength could not pry Malchior's arms. Even in his weakened state he lived up to his name's reputation, showing dreaded and unreasonable strength.

"I cannot release you." She said, looking down to see the ground coming up, and **fast **

The alien raked her mind for a solution and came up with only one. Flying down toward BeastBoy's bottom she position herself so that she was directly under the two dragons and pushed upward, hoping to slow their fall. That's when she experienced the true weight of the two dragons in full force. Their speed decreased, but not enough to keep them from splattering on the ground below and it didn't take Starfire long to realize this.

"Ohh…she mumbled, running out of options

She had one option, but she wasn't sure if it was going to work, but at the present time she really did have any other choice. Reposition herself, so that this time her back was against the two dragons she powered energy in her hands as the dizzying heights decreased.

"Now or never." She thought, throwing her hands forward

* * *

Now Raven, Terra, and BumbleBee had followed after Starfire after seeing the turn of events in the Malchior/BeastBoy fight, but Starfire being only real person who could get high enough left the other three in the dust…or to speak. As of now they were frantically searching, but coming up with nothing, until they heard a loud boom. 

_**BOOM!**_

"What in the world was that!" BumbleBee asked

"Starfire." Replied Raven

"How do you know?"

"Look." The sorceress replied, pointing to a bright light green light

Parting the clouds due to the power being released the Titans saw two large figures descending slowly to the earth. Under them it seemed as if a widespread buster rocket was slowing their fall considerably.

"Whoa." Was all BumbleBee could say, captivated by the sight before her

"When did Starfire…get so strong?" Terra asked, dumbfounded

"I'm not sure." Replied Raven, "But it doesn't seem she can keep this up for long." She replied, flying over to the display

Raven's words rang true as the bright light began to flicker, its source of energy beginning to weaken. Starfire couldn't keep this up for long…but if she could for just a bit longer the fall _might _not kill them. So she kept it up, being careful not to expend herself too much, but also being careful to keep up the output she already had, thus putting an immense strain on her body.

"I must…keep going." She thought, but those were only words, her body couldn't take this much longer, "I am…losing…it."

Then without warning her energy stopped flowing from her hands and her arms numbed up. For a fleeting second she felt nothing, not the weight of the dragons on top of her, not the strain on her body, not the air flowing around her, nothing. Then after that second everything came rushing back and her speed began to increase…but only for a moment, that's when everything stopped. The stop was so sudden that Starfire lost her grip on the dragons and fell and with no power to keep her afloat she couldn't stop herself. Fortunately she didn't have to worry about that, BumbleBee did the stopping.

"Whoa there girlie!" she said, "No need to go splat anytime soon."

"How…" Starfire tried to ask, but BumbleBee pointed toward the two dragons, which were being suspended in the air by Raven and Terra

Since Malchior refused to let go, even in an unconscious state, the two girls were forced to catch him as well; Terra making enormous floating rock hands to hold the two while Raven aided Terra by feeding power into the hands.

"I'm glad BeastBoy safe." Terra said as they safely hovered to the ground

"Too bad he's sporting a hitchhiker." Muttered Raven, "Wish we could just let him drop." She added coldly

* * *

By the time they reached the ground Malchior was out like a light and BeastBoy was wavering in a semi-conscious state. And to add to the annoyance that this situation portrayed Malchior choose _this_ time to loosen his grip, his arms slowly cascading to the ground; hitting it was a low thud. 

_THUD!_

"Now he lets go." Raven muttered, glaring at the dragon

"BeastBoy…BeastBoy!" yelled Robin, trying to get a rise out of the large dragon, "You okay?" he asked

BeastBoy looked at Robin and nodded, but was not focused on the vigilante. His eyes were somewhat glazed over and it looked like he would cave-in in a matter of moments.

"I should…change back." He thought, his eyelids growing heavy

The change was slow as BeastBoy began to change back to his original form. Though he really couldn't feel much since his body had went numb the others had to endure the sickening sound of his muscles and bones changing, nearly making Terra and Starfire gag.

"That has got to stop." Cyborg commented

Eventually it did and BeastBoy was in his normal form, falling over from exhaustion. The blissful peace of sleep hit him and consciousness left him while the Titans mulled over what they were going to do next.

* * *

Bright light pierced BeastBoy's eyes when he awoke, forcing him to shield against the sun that chose to be evil and temporarily blind him. After his eyes adjusted he pulled himself from the bed he was sleeping in, which he realized wasn't his. Looking around he realized he was in the infirmary and looking at himself he saw that he was thoroughly bandaged. 

"Hungry." He muttered, the first thought to enter his mind

Hopping of the infirmary bed, small wires popped off of him, falling to the sides of the bed as he made his way out. He didn't have a shirt or pants on, just a pair of boxers, but his mind was on a single setting at the moment and he didn't care what he looked like, as he made his way to the common room. Meanwhile, in the common room the Titans were still in discussion about a certain topic.

"He still hasn't said anything." Robin replied, sounding thoroughly annoyed

"How long is he gonna stay with this quiet treatment?" wondered BumbleBee, sounding exasperated

"He waited for over one thousand years…his patience is infinite." Replied Raven, spitefully

"Well then…this is gonna be hard." Muttered Speedy, rubbing his right hand through his hair

"You know, you don't have to stay if you don't want to. Thanks for the help and everything, but we can handle things from here." Replied Robin

"Nah…wouldn't mind hanging out for awhile. Crime's low back home and we were getting a little bored." Replied BumbleBee

"'Sides, I sort like this place." Replied Speedy, a small mischievous grin lining his face

"So, we just wait?" Cyborg asked

"It's our only option." Replied Robin

Just then, at that moment the doors to the common room slid open, revealing BeastBoy, half asleep, in all his green glory. A silence fell upon the room as all the Titans turned to him, each with their own reactions to his sudden entrance.

"Oh my." Starfire mumbled, blushing

"Nitwit." Muttered Raven, shaking her head in disdain

BumbleBee chose to look at the ground.

"Wow…it's so big!" replied Terra

Everyone looked over at her direction with shocked looks on their faces after that comment. They noticed she was in the kitchen area, holding up a cucumber.

"This cucumber, who grew it, it's so big." She replied, blissfully unaware until she noticed Beastboy at the entrance, "Oh…BeastBoy!" she practically yelled, lunging over to the changeling and embracing him in a hug

"Oh…Terra…nice to see you too." He replied, somewhat shocked and embarrassed, "Hey…why's everyone looking at me like that?" he asked

"Put some clothes on." Raven replied

It was at that moment that BeastBoy realized he was half naked, and with Terra hugging him his embarrassment went into overload.

"Whoa!" he yelled, nearly jumping out of his shorts (lucky us)

"Now he realizes it. You are such a dork." Raven replied

"Ha ha…well, anybody can make a mistake."

"You're more than _anybody_." She replied, walking over to him, "You are a idiotic nimrod who jumps at the chance to show off." She said, glaring at him, "You dimwitted show off." She muttered

Terra backed away as Raven approached, but couldn't keep quiet as Raven basically began to chew his head off.

"He only did what he thought was right." Terra replied

"Right or not, what he did was stupid. It was pure luck that he even did what he did, but everyone's luck runs out eventually. You can't rely on that." She said, referring to the changeling, face to face with him

"But…"

"But nothing. Malchior has powers you can't fathom, yet you stupidly went against him because you thought we couldn't handle it." She said, "We've been a team for how long, and you didn't think we could handle him?" she asked, "I thought we all had trust between us…but I guess I was wrong about that…wrong about you." She said, spitting out the words like they were venom

BeastBoy couldn't help but feel a little ashamed at Raven's words…she didn't trust him?

"But in all fairness, I suppose you have to state your case." She replied, which granted her a series of murmurs from the others, "So out with it…I want to hear your excuse." She asked, stepping away to give him some room

BeastBoy raised an eyebrow at the sorceress and looked her square in the eye. The look in her eye never wavered; between that of anger and patience, with one more emotion huddled in there. It was hard to spot at first glance, but BeastBoy had known her for too long not to realize it after awhile. Relief.

"Well?" she said

"Well…" he began, seeing as he had a full audience; everyone was looking at him, "I'm sorry." He replied, plain and simple

"You're…s-s-sorry?" Raven asked, stuttering slightly due to the straightforwardness of the answer

She was expecting him to come up with some lame excuse or try to weasel his way out of it, like he usually did when he did something stupid, but just two words? This was something that Raven wasn't expecting, which only proved to fuel her anger further.

"You're sorry." She said, "You're **sorry!**" she growled, keeping her voice dangerously low, "About **what!**" she demanded, growling like a predator on the prowl

"Oh…this isn't gonna be good." Cyborg muttered to the Titans East

Aqualad, Mas, Menos, and Speedy nodded in agreement, but a glare from BumbleBee ceased their conversation before it even got started.

"I'm sorry that, I lost your trust." He replied, "I wasn't trying to, but there are some things you just have to do as a man." He replied

"You egotistical little…" she began, but BeastBoy interrupted her

"But actually, I knew we could handle Malchior together. I knew full well. Malchior knew too." BeastBoy replied, "That's why he challenged me to a one-on-one fight I guess."

"What…what's that got to do with anything?" Raven asked

"It's kinda hard to explain but, I think when you know you can't win the war, you try to at least win a battle." He replied; then thought on it some more "That was a cool metaphor." He chuckled

"You're not making any sense!" she yelled, trying to keep her temper in check

"Why don't I take a crack at it?" Came Cyborg, walking up to Raven, "Look Rae, this was a fight of pride, not between BB and Malchior, but between two dragons." He explained, "Don't ask me to explain every little detail 'cause that would take forever. Just know that Malchior had something to settle with B and even though B didn't notice it at first, he had some business with Malchior too. Now…what that business _was _exactly is beyond me, but I guess he had some." Cyborg replied, "Get it?" he asked

"How'd you figure all this out?" Robin asked

"Remember reading a book on it… something about animal pride and revenge or something or other." He said

"Wow…Sparky reads." BumbleBee murmured

"I heard that." Cyborg shot

Raven raised an eyebrow at that explanation, getting it somewhat, but the real question was; what was it that BeastBoy had against Malchior that could have made him want to fight him on his own?

"Uh…can I get breakfast now?" BeastBoy asked

"Not that tofu junk." Replied Cyborg, rushing to the kitchen

"Hey!" yelled BeastBoy, flying over the counter to stop his metallic friend

"Put some clothes on!" yelled Cyborg

"Breakfast first!" BeastBoy yelled back

"And the insanity begins." Robin muttered, walking over to the kitchen to stop the two

"I think I better help." Replied Terra

"BeastBoy…what are you hiding?" Raven wondered, as the other Titans dispersed

The explanation given by Cyborg left more questions to answers in Raven's case. What business did BeastBoy have with Malchior? BeastBoy wasn't the kind of to exact revenge on anyone. The best way to describe BeastBoy was that he was _too _nice sometimes. What could it have been that would cause BeastBoy to want revenge on Malchior? This one question plagued Raven's mind as a pancake sailed through the air and hit Starfire in the face.

* * *

Sorry, thought I should end it here, but I couldn't come up with a really good ending. Hope you enjoyed the chapter all the same. 


	18. Drama, That's About It

Sorry for the short hiatus, but I had another story in the works that had to be completed. I haven't forgotten about my Teen Titans stories, but my Smash Brother story took priority. Read it if you're looking for a good dose of action, but please, continue reading if you're a fan of 'Seeing Life in a Different Perspective'.

* * *

"Grr..." came a low growl, emanating from the throat of a rather irked creature, "How, how was _I_ captured?" he asked himself, the reality of the situation still sinking in, "How was _I_ defeated by the green one?" he wondered 

His pride had been officially shot and what was left of it was going down the drain the longer he stayed imprisoned, though his prison was not that of a magical book or enchanted text, but by that of technological security locks and some of the finest and most powerful alloys in the world. After his crushing defeat at the paws of BeastBoy, the Titans had captured the malevolent dragon, after his loss of consciousness due to the beating he took. By the time he had awakened he was already held fast by powerful bounds that held him to the floor of the underground garage where the Titans housed all their vehicles. He couldn't break free of the strong alloys with his brute strength and it had seemed that Raven had cast a spell on his bonds to repel his own magical abilities, reducing the feared creature to nothing more than a cage dog, in a manner of speaking.

"Those Titans will rue the day they handed me this embarrassment." He muttered, but even he knew it was simply an empty threat

With his entire body held down and his magical abilities dampened, he was at the complete mercy of the Titans, only able to wait for what they had in store for him.

"Most likely, Raven will want to put an end to my very existence." He thought, "Her anger toward me is very great." he thought, "The only reason she hasn't is because her leader has ordered her not to come near for he needs information on the Witch." Malchior thought, "Even if I wanted to help these fools I could not, I do not know where the Witch is at, or what she may be planning. So their questions are but a waste of theirs and my time."

Malchior continued to grumble to himself as he surveyed his surroundings, not at all impressed at what he saw, even with the sophisticated weaponry and technological devices.

"So humans have grown more powerful and created newer and more advanced weaponry." He thought, "I always knew that they grew too quickly for their own good. They may be in a different age, but they still succumb to the same faults of their kind. They do not understand what their growth and continue to grow without understanding. It will lead to their downfall one day." He contemplated, "I only hope that I am there to see them lead themselves to their own destruction."

At that moment he heard the elevator make its way down to the underground garage. It slowly moved down until hitting the bottom floor, where the door opened and out came two individuals. The first was the striped spitfire known as BumbleBee, while the second…

"The green one!" Malchior roared in his head, immediately struggling at his bonds to try and break free so that he could rip BeastBoy asunder

However, all his struggling proved to do was to scare BeastBoy and cause him to hide behind BumbleBee for safety.

"You sure he can't break out?" BeastBoy asked, visibly shaking

"If he could, do you really think I'd be down here?" BumbleBee replied, dragging BeastBoy closer, "Now come on." She ordered

BeastBoy sighed and followed after BumbleBee, but he didn't get any closer than five feet from Malchior, and he was more than ready to bolt with her if Malchior somehow broke free.

_Grrr…raah!_

Malchior continued to struggle and growl at the changeling and insect girl but after a few moments, quieted down after realizing the futileness of his struggling. He wasn't getting free anytime soon.

"What do _you _want?" he finally asked, knowing full well why they came down

"Look, why don't you tell us what you know and put and end to this?" BumbleBee asked, "You're not getting out and for all I know you might get a few years knocked off your sentence…if there's a jail for dragons." She replied

"Humph…threaten me all you like, I do not need to tell you cretins anything." Malchior replied smugly

"I'm not tryin' to threaten you!" she yelled, losing her patience, "Look, act like a baby all you want, you ain't getting out!" she yelled, "No wonder Robin told Raven not to come down here, I want to take you out myself." She muttered

"How is dear Raven?" Malchior asked, "Is she still infuriated with me?" he wondered, "Ah females, they can hold a grudge for quite a long time." He mused

"Hey, don't talk about Raven like that, you hurt her, badly!" BeastBoy yelled, speaking up

"I did what I had to do to get free." He told BeastBoy, his voice still calm

"That's no excuse!" he yelled, "Raven's my friend and I won't let you hurt my friends!"

"Hmm…quick to come to the girl's defense?" Malchior said, "Would it be that you hold dearest Raven close to your heart?" he asked, smirking to the best of his ability

"Yeah BeastBoy?" came BumbleBee, "And I thought Raven was just a _friend?_" she quipped

"_Grr_…she is." He replied, keeping his voice low, "It's just, I don't like to see her get hurt." He replied, "But you wouldn't know nothin' about that, would you?" he accused Malchior

Malchior growled a deep, low growl that caused BeastBoy and BumbleBee to take a step back.

"What do you know!?" he yelled, "How dare a human tell me about the meaning of friendship?!" He roared, even with his mouth securely fastened, "You say you want to make peace, but when our guards are down you desecrate out kind because a few could not understand us! And even when some of us chose to forgive and forgive and forgive, even when they are slain because they believe you humans are a righteous species!" he bellowed, "I may be the dread dragon Malchior, I may have done things that are not exactly honorable, but know this false dragon, when I see someone as my ally I take that in great account. Should they **ever **betray me or those I hold dear, my vengeance will come at them like the cries of a thousand thunderstorms!" he yelled

BumbleBee and BeastBoy were shocked, shocked beyond words. BumbleBee had seen Malchior as a raging beast with some intelligence, but after that speech she felt slightly ashamed for thinking less of him. BeastBoy was in even more shock than BumbleBee, for he had always seen Malchior as a lying, cheating scumbag that should be thrown into a ditch. He didn't think Malchior could be honest or righteous, but he had been proven wrong. He still didn't like the dragon, but now, now he had a different opinion on him.

"I grow tired of this…" Malchior muttered, breaking the silence that had fallen, "I do not know of the Witch's whereabouts or what she is planning for this city. If I did I would be creating countermeasures incase she decided to attack me. After our deal was complete I broke all contact with her. Now I do not care if you choose to believe me or not but that is the truth, now leave me be." He said, closing his eyes, slightly exhausted from his outburst

"Wait a sec…" BeastBoy began, but BumbleBee put a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head to tell him not to push further, "But…" he asked

"No, let's go." She said, walking away, "We got all we need." She said

BeastBoy was hesitant, but soon followed after, though he looked back occasionally as he headed back to the elevator, looking over his shoulder at the dread dragon, still in disbelief about him.

"BumbleBee…there's something else, something he's not telling us, and it's not about the Witch." BeastBoy replied

BumbleBee sighed as the elevator door opened and the two stepped inside.

"I know." She replied, "But we ain't figuring it out now." She told him, "Let's just tell the others what we know."

"Right." Replied BeastBoy as the elevator doors closed, once again leaving the dread dragon alone to his thoughts

* * *

After relaying the information BumbleBee and BeastBoy gathered, the Titans were left with more questions than answers. Since Malchior had no clue where the Witch was or what she was doing, the Titans were now completely in the dark, no leads or clues for them to analyze. Robin dreaded it but he came to the conclusion that they would have to be diligent and wait for the Witch to make the first move. With that established all the Titans could do was to wait, since it would be a waste of time and energy to go searching around aimlessly. 

"Ugh…back to square one, eh?" Speedy commented

"No doubt." Replied Robin, sighing, "This just gets better and better." He mumbled

"Please, Robin, do not despair, all will be well." replied Starfire, "You are tense, let me give you a massage." Replied Starfire, hoping to ease her leader

"No!" Robin cried out before quickly collecting himself, "I'm okay, really, you don't have to worry over me." He replied, "Besides, just hanging out with you is more than enough for me." He replied, hoping she'd believe him, he really didn't want to have to realign his spine

"Oh…okay." She replied, "Let us do the hanging out instead." She replied, "Shall we go to your room?" she asked hopefully

"Ahem." Cyborg said, clearing his voice, "This 'hanging out' won't consist of anything to _extreme_, right?" he asked, "We want to keep this place PG ya know."

"Cyborg?" questioned Robin, feeling almost shocked that Cyborg didn't think he was a gentleman, "We're just hanging out, no big deal." Robin replied

"Okay then…" Cyborg replied, "Just keep your door open lover boy." He replied

Robin simply sighed and walked off with Starfire in tow, grumbling something incoherent under his breath.

"I wonder how long they'll last before sucking face, huh?" Speedy commented, "I'd say twenty minutes, tops." He replied

"Five minutes." Replied Cyborg

"You're on." Came Speedy

"NO!" cried out Menos and Mas, their potential goddess running off with someone else

"Boys." Muttered Raven, BumbleBee, and Terra at once

"Well then ladies, would anyone one of you like to hang out with a lover _man?_" asked BeastBoy, winking and grinning

"No." replied Raven evenly

"_Please._" Replied BumbleBee, scoffing at the idea

"Maybe later." Replied Terra, smiling warmly at him

All three girls left the changeling to wallow in his shame and personal blow to his pride.

* * *

Darkness swarmed about her as she sat in a lotus position mediating. However, this darkness was not because of any absent of light, on the contrary, they were in a rather lit area, the forest beyond Jump City. No, this darkness of was of numerous Insectoids swarming around their mistress, eagerly awaiting her next move. The Witch seemed to be in a trance, though upon closer observation it could be seen that she was mumbling some strange incantation. Hours before the Witch had been reciting this incantation and from the beginning, strange black tendrils had slithered from a fixed area beneath her and had begun to infect the trees around her. For every tree she infected, Insectoids poured out, though only about ten Insectoids actually retained their original forms (with a few new features.). The others seemed to be joining into a large, slithering mass around the Witch, growing bigger and bigger as more Insectoids joined the blob. Spikes, scythes, blades, and all sorts of other sharp objects were forming and protruding from the 'hide' of the strange blob, while white, soulless eyes began to form on what could be called a 'head'. 

_Creak, creak, chirp, chirp, and chip!_

The ten Insectoids that had encircled the Witch seemed to be communicating with one another, obviously deep in conversation while the Witch was in another world. More chirps, cheeps, and other noises came from the ten Insectoid as they conversed, occasionally stealing glances at the large demonic mirror that hovered mere inches above the ground, ominously, and ever so often a strange creature, seemingly swimming inside the mirror glanced out, a truly evil look of delighted malice etched on its face.

* * *

The day went by and night came without much trouble. Other than a few instances of Cyborg watching Robin and Starfire to make sure they were acting mature and a few disagreements between BeastBoy and the Titans East over video games, the day went by relatively okay. Although, BeastBoy could sense that Raven wasn't exactly back to her old self. She didn't talk to him much that day, which wasn't a huge thing, since she didn't talk to him much at all _any_ day. However, she hadn't yelled at him for being an idiot, or a moron, or a numbskull and every time he tried to talk to her she would disappear mysteriously, as if she was trying to get away from him. Sure, this wasn't too different than usual, but usually she would simply ignore him until he got bored and left on his own or yell at him when he pushed his luck too far. Something was up and he knew it. It didn't take him long at all to guess that it was probably because of Malchior, since the dragon was currently residing below the tower. Even though Malchior couldn't escape it probably didn't make things any better for Raven, knowing that the 'man' that broke her heart was trapped in flesh and blood, no more than a few dozen feet below her. 

"Raven must be feeling awkward, to say the least." He sighed, "This is gonna be crazy." He thought

When the time finally rolled around for the Titans to hit the hay the awkwardness only increased. After light-hearted conversation with Terra that ended with BeastBoy blushing red as a rose and BumbleBee grunting, BeastBoy tried to talk to Raven in one last, desperate attempt to knock her out of this unseen depression she was in. He knew she wouldn't talk to him with an audience and if she got to her room before he did he'd be screwed. Following her was out of the question because she'd just increase her pace and get inside before he would be able to, so the only option he had left to take the long way by running all the way around the Tower and get to Raven's room from the other side. Quick as lightening he morphed into a cheetah and took off, racing for all he was worth around the tower before Raven could get to her room. Though it wasn't exactly far, it was still far enough and BeastBoy wanted to make it there in time, so he pushed himself almost to the point of exhaustion.

"Almost there." He thought, turning the corner

Just as he did he saw Raven just opening her door to go inside, unaware that he was running toward her as if he was on the hunt.

"Can't let her close that door." He thought

He was running so fast that when he actually got to her he couldn't stop himself and tripped, sending himself sailing through the air, toward Raven. Raven sensed a disturbance but by the time she knew what hit her, BeastBoy hit her.

_WHAM!_

"BeastBoy…" she growled, "You **_idiot!_**" she barked, pushing the changeling off of herself

"Well, at least she's speaking to me again and hey, she called me an idiot, cool!" he thought excitedly, not realizing that anything that Raven had yelled at him was a compliment

"What, do you want?" She muttered, looking as if she were barely containing her annoyance

"I guess things are back to normal. She's pissed and annoyed, but I gotta be sure." He murmured

"What are you mumbling about?" she demanded, dusting herself off

Both Titans were once again on their feet, Raven glaring at BeastBoy and BeastBoy trying to think of something to say. He was never good with words, especially around females and trying to think of something to say that wouldn't offend Raven was very hard.

"Bye." She said, heading to her door

BeastBoy was beginning to panic. If she closed that door it would be over. He thought about putting his foot in the way to stop the door from closing, but just as he move his foot to the position Raven stopped, looked at him, and with a serious look and tone told him…

"If you want that foot, you'll move it."

She didn't look as if she were joking, which she hardly ever did so BeastBoy didn't move his foot any further. Turning again she glided into her room and began to close the door.

"NO!" cried BeastBoy and in desperation he simply blurted out what he wanted to say like a moron, "I know you're feeling bad about Malchior and everything and I want you to know it's okay. He can't hurt you now and I just want to know if you're okay with that, just say something, talk to me! I want to help because I'm you're friend!" he cried out

The door stopped centimeters from closing, though Raven didn't turn to face BeastBoy.

"You are a lot more forgiving than I am." She replied, "That's one of your many redeaming features. It takes a little while longer for me." She said, "Just know that you don't have to worry about me so much, I'm fine." She said, her voice never wavering, "Thank you for being concerned but don't be, I can handle myself." She said before finally closing the door in front of him

"I…"

"Good night BeastBoy." She said through the closed door, ending the conversation there and then

In an instant BeastBoy looked as if someone had socked him in the face. He had always known Raven to take difficult situations coolly, but this was too cool, even for her. He had at least thought she'd comment on what he said, but it was as if she weren't even affected by what he said.

"Super weird." He mumbled

He felt uneasy and BeastBoy never liked feeling uneasy. He sighed and thought that maybe he needed some sleep or something, until…

"That girl is weird." He heard someone say

"**WAAAAAAAAAAH!**" BeastBoy cried out, his heart beating a mile a minute, turning to glare at the person who surprised him, "Don't **DO** that!" he yelled

"Sorry." Replied BumbleBee, the source of BeastBoy's heart attack, "Come on." She said, taking hold of him

"What, where are we going?" he asked

BumbleBee didn't say anything until they were a ways away from Raven's door before letting go of BeastBoy and putting a serious look on her face.

"Look, you're dodging the bullet too god-freaking much." She replied "Just tell her how you feel and get it over with before I throw you through that door of hers myself." She replied

"Dude, I keep telling you, I don't feel that way about her." BeastBoy replied, "Sure, I like her, and she's hot, but Terra's hot, Starfire's hot, you're hot."

BumbleBee glared at him.

"But I mean that as a friend!" he quickly replied

BumbleBee sighed and shook her head in disdain before reply.

"Okay, fine. It doesn't look like I'll be able to play match-maker with you two." She said, "If I can't push ya'll together I'll just wait it out."

"Thanks, see now was that so hard to admit?" BeastBoy asked

"But that doesn't mean I can't embarrass you two until ya'll finally get with it." She replied with a vicious grin

"Ya know dude, I loathe you."

"Guess I'm doing my job."

* * *

Soon silence fell on Titans Tower as the residents of the tower slept on through the night, all except one whose mind was far to troubled to sleep. 

"Can't sleep." She said, her eyes open, staring up at her dark ceiling

She sat up and immediately turned to her dresser, which housed all her personal items, including her magic mirror to her mind. She glared at the mirror threateningly and knew what would come next. Inwardly sighing she got out of bed, not wanting what was about to happen next to happen, but knew that there was no choice in the matter. This had to be done.

"Let's get this over with." She muttered before closing her eyes and concentrating

When she reopened her eyes she was in the vast wasteland of her mind; the dark sky high above her with eerie red stars that seemed to watch her every move. A landscape that never seemed to end was before her, but she knew exactly where she was going and quickly followed a trail that magically appeared before her. It didn't take long for Raven to arrive at her destination, though in her mind it was hard to even **tell **time, but it didn't seem to have an affect on Raven. She now stood before a large mansion within her mind, decorated much like the landscape. Small birds rested upon the branches of the bare trees that littered the land, which was completely devoid of plant-life. The mansion seemed to loom over Raven, even though it was only three stories, an ominous feeling coming from it. She walked past the open gate and to the front door and without hesitation opened the door and stepped inside. Just as he did so she encountered something she only saw in her worst nightmares.

"Hey Ravie!" cried out a high pitched squeal

"Hello Happy." Replied Raven, less than enthusiastic than her joyous counter part was, "Where are the others?" Raven asked

"Oh…" Happy giggled, "Well, I'm not sure. The only Ravies I know for sure are Bravery and Lazy." She replied

"Where are they?" Raven asked again

"Well, Lazy is being herself, being all no fun and sleeping in her room." Happy replied, "And Bravery said something about 'talkin' to rage or something like that."

Raven sighed; they never made it easy for her.

"Looks like I'm going on a scavenger hunt." She muttered, walking toward the center of the main lobby of the mansion

Long before Raven had erected this mansion in her mind in order to make it easier to find her emotions should she need to keep them under control or gain console from them. They each had their own separate rooms that each lead to their own separate worlds in her mind, however, even with this mansion, her emotions were never really around when she needed them and she usually had to search for a few of them before anything could actually get done.

"Let's go." She said to Happy and delighted Happy bounded along side her

"Soooooooooooooo?" she began, "What we doing?" she asked

"It's what _are _we going to do." Replied Raven, correcting her English

"Oh…" replied Happy as if she had really taken that info to heart, "Soooooooooo…What we doing?" she asked again, giggling

"I…er…grr…" she growled before collecting herself, "Forget about it." She mumbled

She knew very well that Happy knew why Raven was in her mind. Happy just loved to tease Raven and Raven knew it and usually fell for it. However, she chose to simply ignore her other self as she went to search for her emotions, until something unexpected happened.

"Hey Ravie, wanna hear a joke?" Happy asked

"No." replied Raven monotonously

"_Please?_" she begged

"No."

"Aw come on, just one."

"Promise you'll shut up?"

"Yay!" Happy cried out in glee, happy over Raven's way of saying yes, "Okay, here it goes." She began, "What happens when you cross a buck, a doe, a fish and a bear?" she asked

"Surprise me." Raven asked

"One happy bear!" Happy cried out before doubling over in laughter

Whether Raven got the joke or not she didn't show it, she simply sighed and continued walking, listening to Happy's joyous, if not piercing laughter, until it stopped abruptly.

Raven turned to see her counterpart fall to the ground with a thud, unconscious, with another side of her standing behind the once standing happy emotion. Before Raven could even utter a response the less-than-friendly red emotion known as Rage lashed out with a powerful darkness attack, engulfing the mysterious sorceress.

* * *

_YAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWN_

Awakening from his slumber, BeastBoy could feel his stomach growling, keeping him from getting the sleep he wanted. Without much hesitation he headed for the common room for a mid-night snack, that tofu burger he had waiting for him; making him water with anticipation. Upon his arrival to the common room he noticed that someone else was inside as well, seemingly having the same idea as him self since whoever it was, was currently rummaging through the fridge.

"Huh…oh it's you green bean." Replied BumbleBee after noticing his arrival

"Come on, only Cy calls me that." BeastBoy whined, "Don't' tell me you're gonna too?" he asked

"Sorry, can't help it, you are green after all." She replied

"Thanks for that wonderful observation." He muttered

"What you doing up?" she asked

"Same as you, old reliable got cranky." He said, referring to his belly

"Isn't it always?"

"Hey!" he cried out, "He's very sensitive to stuff like that. Isn't that right boy?" he asked his stomach

As if it were conscious it growled loudly, making BumbleBee wonder if he stomach really _was _sensitive to corny ribbing.

"Sorry BeastBoy's stomach, didn't think you'd take is so hard." BumbleBee replied

"He accepts your apology, now hand me that tofu burger in the back." He said

BumbleBee did, grabbing said food item and tossing it over to BeastBoy. BeastBoy watched as it sailed through the air, closing in on him. His mouth watered, imagining the tofu-rrific taste of his tofu burger. However, just as it was about to land in his awaiting hands it exploded furiously right before his very eyes. The only traces left of the tofu burger were small crumbs that easily went up in smoke due to strange energy, dark energy. BeastBoy's existence spun out of control over the lost of his tofu burger...for about three seconds before he gasped as the sudden event.

"Whoa, what was that?!" BumbleBee practically yelled, a little taken back by the sudden self combustion of a food item

"Raven…" murmured BeastBoy, his eyebrows furrowing deeply, "I wonder if she okay?" he thought

With everything that had happened as of late, BeastBoy was more protective of the dark girl than ever and if her powers were acting up now that must have meant something bad was going on. Without giving BumbleBee a chance to reply at his comment he took off toward Raven's room, hoping that she was okay and not in any mortal danger as she had been for the past few days.

"Okay, **what's **going on?!" BumbleBee cried out, flying right beside him

"Somethin' up with Raven, not sure but I think its bad." He said

"Isn't it always with that girl?" BumbleBee muttered as she followed

* * *

The soft breathing of Malchior echoed throughout the underground garage, the only sound to break the utter silence that filled the room. 

"Perfect, he's asleep." A malicious mind thought

The room grew dark, darker than it should have and a small figure emerged from that darkness, slowly making its way toward the dragon. At first the figure was in the form of a black bird with red eyes, but soon that bird condensed into a more familiar form, landing a few feet away from the sleeping dragon.

"This will be too easy." This figure said, "Though this vengeance would be all the sweeter if he was awake." The figure said, bringing its hand back; a hand that cackled with black energy, "Oh well."

"Who says I am not awake." Replied Malchior, "Ah, my sweet Raven…or should I say; her rage embodied." He replied

"So, you know." Raven, or more to the point, Rage replied

"You ask as if I couldn't." he replied, "I know all about you scattered emotions and their unique properties." He said, "You are Rage. You may have Raven's body at the moment but your scent is unmistakable." He replied, "So, what did you do to the true Raven?" he asked

"She's taking a nap at the moment, but don't worry, she's fine." Rage replied, "Unlike you'll be."

"As if I care, I can guess that you want to take revenge for Raven for what I have done to her, right?" he asked, "I suppose it is predictable since you are her rage."

"Yes and no." she said, "Nothing would make me happier than to end you life you miserable beast, but I'm not doing this just for Raven, no I want to end you and take you power."

"Hmm?" he mumbled, "What ever possibly for?"

"You said it yourself, you taught me everything you know, but you didn't teach me how to control it. However, if I have you power I could control it and Raven would be invincible."

"So this is a quest for power eh?" he replied, "Typical of a human, always questing for power."

"Don't undermine me you silly creature. I'm not just human."

"A demon is no better. And I can only say that a half demon is even worst."

Rage growled at Malchior as her eyes flared up, revealing a second set right above them.

"You don't know me fool!" she yelled, "You don't know what I have to put up with in Raven's mind, always having to keep my power down, never being able to fully express my nature! It's sickening!" she growled before composing herself, "But with your control I'll be able to be expressed in full, without Raven's fear of destroying everything around her. I'll finally be free." She said

"You truly believe that…you are quite foolish." Malchior replied, "Even if dear Raven obtained full control of her powers your imprisonment would not end. She doesn't hide you because of your power; she hides you because she despises her demonic heritage. She would rather have you gone completely, but knows that is impossible, so she keeps your power dampened in order to keep you docile." He replied, "So in truth, even if you gained more power it would only be dampened further, thus increasing your suffering a hundred fold." He told her, "A fitting fate to such a pathetic creature." He chuckled

"I'll show you PATHETIC!" she screeched, her hand exploding with power, "DIE!"

However, just before she could connect with the fatal blow, a bolt of lightening streaked by her, hitting the ground inches in front of her. With the power fading from her palm she turned to the thrower of the bolt and saw BumbleBee hovering a few feet behind her, along with BeastBoy who had a solemn look on his face.

"I don't miss twice." Replied BumbleBee coldly, "Now step away from the dragon, I don't want to hurt you." She said, stingers pointed directly at her

"Why are you trying to protect him?" Rage asked, "We don't need him anymore, he told us everything he knows and he's evil, pure evil." Rage replied, "It would be better for the entire world if I end him here and now."

"Maybe, but we're not executioners. All we do is protect people and stop evil, but we don't kill if we can help it." She replied

"BumbleBee's right Raven." BeastBoy replied, "This isn't you, I know this isn't you, this is…something else."

"The boy is perceptive." Malchior said, "You are correct green one, this is not Raven, is it mere a part of her, her more malicious part."

"Rage?" BeastBoy questioned

"Huh, what are you talking about?" BumbleBee asked, "Who's this Rage. Did someone take over her body again?" she asked

"Sorta, I guess, but this time I think it's from inside her." He replied

"Whaaaa…" BumbleBee asked

"Look, long story short. Raven's got a magic mirror that lets her go into her own head with like eight different versions of her that represent her feelings and this one right here is actually her more angry side." He replied

BumbleBee blinked for a few seconds and then looked at Raven and then back to BeastBoy.

"Ya know; I'm scared more from the fact that that doesn't surprise me." She said, turning back to Raven, "Okay Raven…er…Rage, don't think I'll hold back just cause that's Raven's body you got there."

"As if you could stop me?" Rage said, unimpressed, turning and unleashing a powerful wave of energy

BumbleBee and BeastBoy were completely caught off guard and thrown back by the force.

"Now before they recover." Rage said, hovering over Malchior, "Prepare for you end."

"Do you worst." He said, as unimpressed as Rage was moments ago

"Oh, I will." She said, ready to throw her energy filled hand forward

But, just before it could connect the blast was stopped by something large, large and green. Rage looked up and met with BeastBoy in BB Dragon form. The large dragon-like creature waved its claw as her sternly, ashamed at her.

"Why you…" she began, but before she could finish, or even get out of the way BeastBoy slammed his paw down, covering her with it

He was gentle enough to only knock the wind out of her while he used his enormous paw to keep her from moving much of her body, only her upper shoulder and head visible. Rage struggled against the large beast, but to no avail, he was just far too strong for her.

"I'll end you, I mean it!" Rage roared, not noticing BumbleBee coming up behind her

"I think not." BumbleBee replied, before placing her hand on Rage's head

By doing so a surge of electricity shot from BumbleBee's hand and into Rage's head and with that slight jolt Rage was rendered unconscious. BeastBoy gasped which ended up sounding like a roar and immediately morphed back to his human form. This proved to be ill-advise, since the sudden change caused pain to rocket through him, paralyzing him for a few seconds.

"I got to not do that." He said

After the numbing faded he stood over Rage and saw that she was breathing rather slowly.

"Is she okay?" he asked

"Don't worry about it." Replied BumbleBee, "It was just a small jolt. I do it all the time." She replied, "Now more importantly, how do we get the real Raven back?"

* * *

Like I said, sorry for the wait, but it happens. Just enjoy. 


	19. Reading, uh Battling Thoughts

And here's the next chapter of my story. Hope you have fun reading.

* * *

"So, here I am once again left alone in this forsaken place to ponder my own thoughts, trapped in inescapable binds and rendered relatively helpless. However, at least I am not spending all of eternity trapped within the confines of that accursed book. But I do wonder what became of that book. Even without my power and influence that book is still quite a useful tool to anyone who has even a grasp of magical knowledge." Thought the dread dragon Malchior 

It had been some time after BeastBoy and BumbleBee left. Having bond and gagged Rage and taken her up, Malchior was now left alone in the underground garage of the tower yet again. Before the three had left he had over heard BeastBoy saying something about a magical mirror and Raven's mind and the dragon could only fathom that he was talking about dearest Raven's emotions. Malchior wasn't sure if the green one could do anything to help the dark sorceress but Malchior knew that the changeling was one thick-headed, yet determined fool who would go against odds to help his allies. It reminded Malchior of a time long ago when other humans showed valor such as BeastBoy.

"If only _all_ humans could have such honor and sacrifice." He thought, "But that would be thinking too highly of the species."

In some way the dread dragon was actually rooting for BeastBoy, hoping that he could regain Raven's normal psyche. If Malchior was to destroy her, he wanted to be sure that it was actually _her _he was destroying and not simply a part of herself. Her destruction would be of her whole being.

"Let us see if he can defy the very person he feels so strongly for?" he wondered, before letting sleep take over

Though one would wonder, who was he talking too?

* * *

"You're crazy, Raven's crazy, this idea is crazy, and I'm crazy for even agreeing with it in the first place." Replied BumbleBee, staring down at the unconscious form of Rage 

"Look, it's the only thing that's gonna work." BeastBoy replied, sitting down on Raven's bed

"She's kill you, you know." BumbleBee replied, referring to the bed

"Yeah, I know, but this might be the one and only time I get to sit on Raven's bed and I ain't passing it up." He replied, "So soft."

"Uh…yeah, friend in dire trouble over here." BumbleBee replied

"Oh, yeah." He said, chuckling sheepishly, "Time to act!" he said proudly before putting his hand over his mouth, forgetting that everyone else was asleep, "Okay, here's the plan. We go in Raven's head, find her, get her out, and get back to bed before the sun comes up." He said

"Okay…two things wrong with that plan." Replied BumbleBee, "One, other than the fact that I most likely won't get _any _sleep tonight, what are you talking about"? How do you go into someone's head?" she said, "I'm not sure, but from the looks of it you ain't a psychiatrist for the schizophrenic." She replied, "And two, why do we have to do it alone. Let's just wake the others and think about this." She replied

"No, we can't!" he replied quickly, shaking his head no

"Why not?"

"Look, only me and Cy know about what goes on in Raven's head and Raven made us swear that we wouldn't breath a word of it to anyone else." He explained, "If we did…"

"What?"

"Well…I don't think I want to repeat _everything _she said, but she did say she'd show us something way worst than death." He told her

BumbleBee grumbled to herself, but could understand where Raven was coming from. No girl wanted their deepest secrets publicized, but BumbleBee still didn't like the idea of doing this alone.

"Okay, why don't we just wake Sparky up and he can go with us?" BumbleBee suggested

"Well, I would, but his door is locked and I can't get in unless I knock it down." He replied, "Or cut on the alarm, and we don't want that to happen." He replied

"Why on earth does the guy lock his door at night, it's not like someone's gonna mess with his circuits or something?"

"Well..." He mumbled

"I can only guess you did something stupid, right?"

"Right."

"Well then, looks like we've got no choice." Replied BumbleBee, rubbing her temple "'Cause of Raven's craziness and your stupidity it looks like we're going mind hopping." She said, "Just one question, what do I expect when I go in that girl's head? I'd like to know if I'd be scarred for life or anything."

"Well, let's just say it's a weird place to visit and definitely not a place to live." He told her

"Oh joy." BumbleBee mumbled

* * *

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" cried out the voices of BumbleBee and BeastBoy as they fell through the seemingly endless portal to Raven's mind 

Before they knew what hit them they had exited it, landing with a thud on the cold hard ground of Raven's mind.

"Ow…" muttered BumbleBee, rubbing her behind, "Could have warned me about the landing."

"It didn't hurt so much last time." Replied BeastBoy, "Maybe cause someone didn't **_land _**on me!" he yelled, shoving BumbleBee off of him

"Hey, don't get snippy with me!" she yelled back, I was the one who got crushed by Miss Heavy over here!" she yelled, referring to Rage, "And by the way…" she commented, regaining her composure, "Now that we're here, won't she like, be stronger or something?" she asked, concluding the only reasonable facts she could gather from their current and crazy predicament

"Not sure." Replied BeastBoy, "All I know is that as long as Raven can't say anything or move her arms we should be okay…but then again, this is Raven we're talking about."

"I'll say." Replied BumbleBee, "Let's just fix whatever mental problems this girl has and get out of here, this place is giving me the creeps." She told him

"Like something watching you?" he asked

"Yeah…how'd you know?"

"Well…"

"_Turn back!"_ called out multiple voices

"What was that?!"

"Oh no." BeastBoy mumbled

"_Turn back!_"

"BeastBoy?"

"I think we should run." He told her

"What for, what could possible by out there?' she asked, before receiving her answer

Sitting atop a barren tree, which she swore wasn't there when they first landed; BumbleBee spotted strange little birds, jet-black in color, with large, deformed heads and reds eyes. However they did not look as menacing as BumbleBee had first thought they might, though BeastBoy had taken it upon himself to take off with Rage.

"I don't know what that boy is so scared of; these things aren't all that bad." BumbleBee thought, taking a step toward them

However, the moment she did it seemed as if the birds' attitudes did a complete 180 and morphing into more realistic birds, with **teeth**, they lunged at her with evil intent.

"**_Kyyyyyaaaaaarrraaaaaaaah!_**" the squawked, dive-bombing at her

The flock of birds that started out as a few grew into many, more than the stripped hero could handle. They tried to swarm her, but she swiftly took to the skies, moving as fast as her buzzing wings could take her.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

It didn't take long for BumbleBee to catch up with BeastBoy, who was currently in the form of a gorilla, with Rage thrown over his shoulder while he ran.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE CRAZY BIRDS IN HERE!" she barked, glaring daggers at the changeling

All BeastBoy could do at the moment was shrug, which didn't help his case any. However before BumbleBee could continue to chew his ear off the erratic squawking of the birds ended abruptly, causing the two Titans to skid to a halt before turning around.

"Huh?" wondered BumbleBee

Draped in a dark brown cloak which was currently blowing in the wind that had magically appeared, her hand held up in defiance to the angry birds, stood Raven, or what BumbleBee thought was Raven, when in actuality this was Wisdom, one of Raven's more mysterious emotions.

"Go find your fun elsewhere." The emotion spoke, in a calm yet demanding voice

The flapping birds almost immediately returned to their cute, deformed forms and without a second thought flew off into random directions until they were completely out of sight.

"Raven?" questioned BumbleBee, at a lost for words

"No…" replied the emotion, turning around to greet the two with a relatively warm smile, "Only a part of the whole." She said

"Huh?" wondered BumbleBee

"BumbleBee and BeastBoy, even Rage, quite a surprise." Replied the emotion, "I expected BeastBoy to come barging into Raven's mind but I never thought I would see you BumbleBee." She commented, "How did BeastBoy persuade you?" she asked

"Persuade, hah!" she laughed half-heartedly, "All BeastBoy did was drag me into the mirror, I didn't have time to be _persuaded_ to do anything." She said

"I see, always the impulsive one?" she said, looking towards BeastBoy, "Too much can be quite the weakness, yet without it nothing can be done."

"What are you talking about?" asked BumbleBee

"Don't mind me." The emotion replied, "Just simple musings to my self. Now, to the matter at hand." She said, "I know that you have come to locate Raven and rescue her; however that has already been accomplished." She said

"Wait, so we came here for nothing?!" BumbleBee asked dumbfounded before anger took over again, "BeastBoy!" she growled, turning back to the changeling

"Nevertheless, though Raven is free, she cannot leave until she recovers her body, so your quest was not for naught." Wisdom replied

BumbleBee grunted but her rage subsided. Turning back to Wisdom she let out long, exaggerated sigh and asked…

"Okay, where is she?"

* * *

"Whoa, you guys have been redecorating." Said BeastBoy in awe as the group had approached what seemed like a mansion in Raven's mind, "Nice, real nice." 

With bare trees lining the front and a lawn void of plant life, this mansion still stood out in Raven's mind due to be such a glaring eye sore in the otherwise devoid realm that was Raven's mind.

"Thank you, though this is simply a meeting place for Raven's emotions so that Raven can come for our consult more easily." Wisdom replied, "Truthfully, this is one place that leads to many." She said

"Must you always end you sentences in a riddle?" BumbleBee asked

"I am Wisdom, it is my purpose to instill thought into others." She said, "Though it is always what you already know, just have not realized."

"I see why Raven has ya'll in her head." Mumbled BumbleBee

"Well then ladies, shall we go on in?" BeastBoy asked

A hop, skip, and a jump later they were inside the strange mansion, looking about its many doors and hallways. The mansion was eerily quiet, not a noise to be heard. Everything looked dull, almost worn out; suffering from monotony, as if everything was just one big picture with no life in it.

"Looked bigger on the outside." Commented BeastBoy

"Assemble everyone!" Wisdom yelled, breaking the silence of the main lobby

Pools of darkness began to form on the ground at their feet, increasing in diameter and thickness. Before long, three lumps appeared from the pools, slowly gaining form and purpose. Three different cloaked figures appeared from the darkness, all hidden by the hoods of their cloaks, but it didn't take long for that situation to be remedied.

"BB!" cried a loud, screeching, yet happy voice, "Long time no see!" she cried out, lunging at the boy

BeastBoy didn't have time to evade the flying tackle and ended up taking it full on. The impact caused him to stumble back, dropping Rage to the ground in the process while the pink clothed Raven straddled his lap, hugging him for all he was worth.

"Nice…to see you too…Happy." Replied BeastBoy between breaths

He swore, Raven's happy side could rival Starfire in bone-crushing hugs and the fact that she was on his lap didn't help matters in the least.

"So…did you bring me anything?" she asked excitedly

It was as if she was a young girl who had exploded with happiness after her father had returned from a long business trip.

"Sorry, if I wasn't coming to save Raven I would have." He replied, doing his best to return the smile

"Oh…that…" she replied, her smile fading; turning Rage who was sprawled on the ground, "That big meanie over there knocked me out and _then _took Rae-Rae's body." She said, "But now that you're here everything's gonna be ok!" she squealed, the happiness quickly returning to her features

Delighted beyond recognition the emotion began hopping up and down on BeastBoy; each hopped crushing him under her weight.

"Whoa there cowgirl, give the boy some air." He heard another Raven say

In one quick motion Happy was off BeastBoy, hanging in the air due to the influence by a green cloaked Raven.

"Hey BB, how's it hanging?" the green cloaked emotion asked

"Hey Courage, everything's fine…'cept for the fact that Raven's lost her body, _again_." He replied, "She really needs to learn to hold onto that thing." He joked

"Good one BB!" Happy laughed, rolling around in the air in laughter

Meanwhile, a grey cloaked emotion shuffled over to BeastBoy and tentatively extended a hand to him.

"I'm sorry about Happy." The Timid said, a voice full of sorrow, "S-s-she shouldn't be so impulsive…b-b-but don't tell her I s-s-said that." The emotion stuttered

"It's okay." BeastBoy said, "I'm BeastBoy after all, not like I was hurt or anything." He said, though his ribs spoke otherwise, "Thanks." He said after getting back to his feet

"Yep, wouldn't like the guy if he couldn't take a hit." replied Courage, playfully punching BeastBoy in the shoulder

Well, it had been playful for Courage. BeastBoy on the other hand felt as his has shoulder had dislocated.

"Yeah." BeastBoy said, rubbing his pained shoulder, "I'm fine." he replied

The grey-cloaked emotion didn't respond at all, she simply stared down at the ground, trying her best to hide her face from BeastBoy's view.

"Uh…you okay?" BeastBoy asked, "Really, I'm fine, nothing to worry about." he replied

"Are…you sure?" The Timid asked

"Sure, didn't I say, I'm BeastBoy!" he said proudly

"We heard you the first time." Quipped BumbleBee

"You're just jealous of my BeastBoy-ness."

"Oh yes, I'm _so _jealous." She replied, "Can we just find Raven and get out of here?"

"Yes, let's." replied Wisdom, "Though I do wonder where the others are?"

"Brainy said she'd stay behind and try to find a way to get Raven free and Lazy, well, she stopped moving after we found Raven. I think she's sleep." replied Courage

"That is like Knowledge, always looking for a solution and Lazy, being just that." Wisdom mused, "However, that does not account for our final sister, where is Love?" Wisdom asked

"Don't _ever _mention her around **me!**" barked a voice

Turning around the group discovered that Rage had broken free of her binds and was now standing, hidden almost completely by her cloak, though the red in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Rage!" yelled, BeastBoy, BumbleBee, and Courage at once, all taking defensive positions moments after

"Hold." Wisdom replied, "She is not threat to us and she knows it." She replied

"Huh?" BeastBoy asked

"She's right, though I hate to admit it." Rage replied, "I couldn't possible take you all on in such a small place and win." Rage growled, "But that doesn't mean I've lost." She said, taking as step back toward the door

"Not so fast." Wisdom said, sending a wave of dark energy forward

However the blast was not directed toward Rage, but to the mansion door itself. The blast created no explosion; on the contrary it actually spread within the walls of the mansion, encasing it in a protective bubble.

"You will not be escaping." Wisdom said, "Not as long as I have any say in it." She replied, before relaxing herself

"Always one step ahead Wisdom." Rage replied, a dark smile forming on her face "Now I can't leave, unless…I TAKE YOU BODY!" she roared, rushing toward brown cloaked emotion

Wisdom didn't seem to react much to Rage as she barreled toward her, almost as if she knew nothing would happen. On cue, two knees came toward Rage, connecting with her gut and dropping her, mere feet away from Wisdom who simply watched the angry emotion fall to the ground.

"I'd say you either knew we'd do that or you're really full of yourself." Replied BumbleBee, dropping her leg

"I'd say full of herself, but who's to say." Replied Courage, also dropping her leg

"I didn't _know _I simply assumed, though I was more than capable to avoiding her blow. She may be powerful, more powerful than my self, but her very power is also her greatest weakness. Her movements are sloppy and wild and can easily be avoided or countered when faced with a cool headed individual."

"Guess we can count out BeastBoy."

"Hey!"

"You all think this is **so** funny, don't you, but this isn't over, I will escape." Growled Rage, though it seemed as if it was an empty threat since she was still hunched over holding her pained abdomen

"Look, don't give me a reason to hurt you some more cause I'm more than willing to take you out." BumbleBee replied, "It's over, you lost, just accept it and we can all go back to bed." She told Rage

"I…won't…be…locked…away…**_AGAIN!_**" she roared, throwing energy everywhere

The wave of energy caused everyone to go flying. Luckily they were all able to catch themselves before any serious injury could occur. However, Rage's attack was merely a distraction, giving her plenty of time to run to her own room door, aptly named 'Rage'.

"I may not be able to escape your barrier, but I know some else who can." She said before entering

"Follow her!" Wisdom yelled, very uncharacteristically of herself

Without a moments notice Wisdom, Happy, Courage, and BumbleBee took off toward Rage, quickly slipping into her 'room' and into her realm.

"Hurry up BeastBoy!" BumbleBee yelled as she disappeared behind the door

However BeastBoy was not quick to give chase, for he noticed that not all the Raven's had taken heed and followed after Rage.

"Hey, what's wrong?" BeastBoy asked

"I-I-I can't do t-t-this." Stuttered Timid, shrinking down in her cloak, "I-I-I'll just get in the w-w-way." She told him

"That's not true." He told her, trying his best to comfort the frightened emotion, "I bet you can kick butt just as good as you sisters." he replied

"But I'm…not a fighter." She managed to say

"Well look at me, I'm not much of a fighter." he replied, "Robin would whip my butt in a straight up fight, but that doesn't mean I can't do everything I can to make things better." he said, "Everyone gots something they're good at, you just have to find yours." he replied, smiling down at the emotion

"H-h-how?" she asked

"You'll know when the time comes." he replied, "Just promise me one thing?" he asked

"What?"

"Stop worrying so much, it'll give you wrinkles." he joked

"I-I'll try." She said, looking up slightly, a large blush forming on her face as BeastBoy smiled warmly to her

"And that's good enough for me!" he replied cheerfully, before morphing into a falcon and taking flight

Timid soon followed after, and they both dove into the strange world that was Rage's realm.

* * *

Rage's realm was a strange place indeed. Upon arrival, BumbleBee was reminded of a twisted version of Jump City. Everything seemed to be destroyed, cars, buses, buildings...everything, as if a massive battle had taken place and left the city in ruins. The red sky only added to the desolation that Rage's dimension exhuded and if BumbleBee hadn't reminded herself that this was all in Raven's head she might have thought she missed a war. It was eerily quite, devoid of any life aside from the many ravens (the bird) that littered the buildings and landscape. The four females quickly travelled over the city heading for what seemed to be the bay, which, unlike the rest of the city looked rather clear. 

"What's she going after?" BumbleBee asked as she and the three emotions raced after Rage

"Not what, who." Replied Wisdom, "The only emotion with the knowledge to dispel my barrier."

"Don't tell me, her name's Smarty, right?"

"Knowledge actually, but still the same premise." She replied, "Only Knowledge can dispel my enchantment."

"How come Rage can't do it herself. You said it yourself, she's stronger than you. Can't she just bust it down?"

"True, she is stronger than me, but there is nothing there to bust." Wisdom replied, "That is not a force shield, more of an absorption field. Any of Raven's power thrown at it will simply be absorbed into the shield, making it stronger. Should Rage have touched the shield it would have drained her on contact." She explained, "However, Knowledge is the one emotion who actually has the _knowledge_ to bring it down, for she knows all of the inner workings of Raven's spells." She said, "If Rage should happen to devour Knowledge she could then easily escape back to the physical world."

"Devour, as in eat?" BumbleBee gasped, "Can she?"

"I am not entirely sure. Knowledge is the manifestation of Raven's intelligence, but that is it. I do not know if she has the willpower not to fend off Rage."

"So then we go to get to her before she eats brainy." Commented Courage, "I can't wait."

"It sounds simple, but we will never catch Rage, she has had a head start and she was always the fastest of the emotions." Wisdom replied, "We can only hope to interfere with the absorption when we arrive, so be prepared for battle."

"Okay!" cheered Happy

_Meanwhile…_

The very epicenter of all the problems this night was currently unconcious on a stone slab, slowly breathing in and out. All and all Raven seemed to be at relative peace, albiet the conditions of her current state. Two of Raven's emotions dutifully stood guard over the sleeping heroine, ready for anything. Well, more accurately, one of Raven's emotions was dutifully watching over her while the other slept on the ground nearby, her loud snoring vastly contrasting Raven's light breathing.

"Hmm…this spell that Rage used is quite complicated. I have yet to be able to break it." Knowledge mumbled to herself, "It seems that it'll require much more research if I hope to undo what she has done." Mused the glasses wearing version of Raven

Pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose the yellow-clad emotion dug back into her book, continuing her search on alternative ways to break the spell that bond Raven until the other emotions returned. So deep in her book-worming she never noticed Rage quickly coming up on her position, an evil glint in her eye.

"Ah, there she is." Rage thought, "No time to be subtle." She said, unleashing her powers

Moments later the evil emotion grew to four times her original size, now sporting tentacles that dangled from the infinite void of her cloak. Four red eyes blinked in unison as sharp teeth grew and horns graced her features. Fully unleashing her demon side Rage was more than powerful enough to overwhelm Knowledge and more than proudly expressed that.

"She's mine!" she roared in her head, smiling wickedly at her almost dinner

"We won't make it!" cried Happy, losing her never-ending smile

Just then a green blur shot past the four females on a direct course for Rage, nearly knocking them out of the sky from the speed it traveled at.

"What in the world?" mumbled BumbleBee until she got a good look

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" roared Rage, causing Knowledge to sense her presence

Knowledge turned, true fear etched on her face as Rage was right on top of her and she didn't have to time to get away. Time seemed to slow as Rage closed the small gap between the two, mouth wide open, ready to devour the intelligent emotion.

_**WHAM!**_

Just before Knowledge could become part of Rage's complete breakfast something big slammed into Rage, sending the red emotion spiraling away.

"Oh my." Replied Knowledge, for once at a lost for words

All she had seen was a green blur crash into Rage. Only after blinking a few times did she discover just what that blur was. Proudly standing over the shocked emotion, the pure ferocity of the BB Dragon was unleashed as he let loose a deafening roar, defying the demonic nature of Raven.

_**RRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

Rage flew back quite a distance, crashing through boulders and trees before finally catching herself.

"Damn that boy and that form." Cursed Rage, "This will not be easy." She said, taking off back toward BeastBoy and Knowledge

BeastBoy raced off toward Rage, kicking up wind at the sudden burst of speed.

"Yo Knowledge, you okay?" Courage called, the first of the four girls to make it to the clearing

"Hmm? Oh yes, I am quite fine, thanks to BeastBoy." She replied, adjusting her glasses, "Now look what that Rage has done, I've lost my page." She said, trying to find the page she was on

"You were just about to be eaten and all you care about is a page number?!" yelled BumbleBee

"It was a very informative page." Replied Knowledge

BumbleBee wanted to yell some more, but decided against it, it would only give her a headache.

"It seems an epic battle is about to begin." Wisdom commented, staring off as the two beasts advancing toward one another

"And I'm gonna be a part of it." Came Courage, cracking her knuckles

"No, you're needed here." Replied Wisdom

"Huh…why?" Courage whined, "I wanna fight."

"There are things that are more important than fighting." Replied Wisdom, "Raven must be freed while BeastBoy keeps Rage distracted"

"But...the fight." Courage whined

"No." replied Wisdom firmly

"Aw man…" muttered Courage, trudging over to the others

* * *

When the two titanic powerhouses collided a small shockwave was unleashed that scattered the many small birds that littered the landscape. 

"Raaaaaah!" roared Rage, elongating her body to try and entwine BeastBoy

BeastBoy spun his body so that he slid along the ground, before pushing away from the demonic Raven, thus avoiding being crushed by her mighty form.

"You're fast, but weak, feel my POWER!" she roared, unleashing powerful red beams from her eyes

BeastBoy ducked under the initial blast and ran from the follow up blast which consisted of a continuous beam, taking cover behind a large boulder until Rage ceased her attack. He took no time to dawdle and immediately flew away from the boulder, just as Rage came crashing down on it with one of her dark tentacles.

"You can't escape me by flying!" she yelled, taking flight

She rocketed into the air and within moments had caught up to BeastBoy, but the dragon boy was not daunted and front-flipped in the air, effectively bringing his tail down on Rage's head when she was close enough.

_THWACK!_

"Ow! That hurt you…!" she bellowed, watching as BeastBoy snickered, "You think you are so _hilarious?_ Well then, let's see what you think about this?!" she yelled, unleashing more eye lasers

BeastBoy easily dodged the attacks as if he had choreographed them. Rage's, well, _rage_ only heightened before she rushed BeastBoy again, swing tentacles at him in a deadly barrage. Seeing as this attack wouldn't be as easy to dodge BeastBoy began to climb (as in fly higher). However…

_Bonk!_

BeastBoy seemed to have…hit something. At first he couldn't see what he had hit, but upon closer examination it was revealed that it was some sort of invisible wall.

"Ha, ha!" laughed Rage, "You can't escape my realm by simply flying away!" she laughed, "You're trapped here to meet you DOOM!" she boomed

After rubbing his head to alleviate the throbbing BeastBoy decided he would meet his doom…er…he would just meet Rage head on.

_Roar!_

With a powerful roar he dived, retracting his wings to make himself more streamline and hurtled down to the awaiting Rage.

"Fool, he's coming to his doom!" she cackled, tentacles dancing at the base of her cloak

With is speed ever increasing one would wonder just what he was planning. A direct assault against Rage in demonic form would surely spell doom for the avian lizard, but BeastBoy had other plans.

"You're mine!" roared Rage, trying to grab BeastBoy

However BeastBoy evaded the tentacles within the slimmest of margins, completely passed by Rage, and with a flick of his mighty tail, he wrapped said tail around one of Rage's tentacles and grabbed hold, effectively pulling her out of the air, dragging her to the ground below.

"_Whoa!_"

Before Rage had a chance to recover from the initial shock BeastBoy whipped his body around with all the force he could muster and flung the mighty demon toward the ground, where she landed with a thunderous crash.

_DUSH!_

"Come on, look at that battle!" whined Courage, "Can I _please_ go over there and give Rage a few could licks?" she begged

"No, now continue reading, it is imperative that we locate the spell that Rage used on Raven." Wisdom scolded

"No need, I already know." replied a voice

Wisdom turned to see a purple cloaked Raven appear on the scene, a smile upon her face that held many secrets.

"Hmm, it's you, Love."

* * *

Rage slowly picked herself up after BeastBoy boy flung her to the ground, just to see the green dragon land a little ways away. Even in his dragon form Rage could see the slightest of smug grins on his face, mocking her from afar.

"That boy _dares _to mock **me!**" she growled, steam literally pour from her ears, "I'll rip him asunder. I'll make death the sweetest of releases before I'm done with him. I'll cause ever pore of his body to erupt in pain. I'll…" she ranted

She was so preoccupied with her ranting she never noticed BeastBoy snake his way up to her until he was right on top of her, shoulder tackling her while her guard was down.

"Grr…" she growled, righting her self again, "DIE!" she bellowed, lashing out with tentacles

BeastBoy quickly moved his head to the left, dodging an incoming tentacle. Another tentacle came and he dodged to the right. A tentacle came from over head and he dashed back and then jumped over a tentacle that tried to knock his feet from under him.

"Grr…" Rage growled again, growing agitated with BeastBoy antics, "Hold still!" she yelled, throwing all her tentacles at him at once.

BeastBoy dodged three incoming tentacles but there were just far too many to avoid and eventually Rage got a hold of the slippery dragon, quickly entwining his body in dark tentacles.

"Now…" She cackled, "Time to drag you into the darkness."

Quickly the tentacles went taut and began to pull BeastBoy into Rage's open cloak, where an inescapable darkness awaited. BeastBoy tried to fight back against the tentacles, to pull him self away, but Rage was far too powerful and he couldn't break free. He tried to morph into something small, to try and slip out but for some reason he couldn't morph.

"Heh, heh, heh." She laughed, "There is no escape for you, fool. Prepare for your end." She said as he inched closer and closer to her open cloak

BeastBoy's claws dug into the ground, creating long grooves in it as he tried with all his might to keep away from the darkness, but sadly he didn't have the strength. However, his quick-witted nature kicked in and an idea formed in his head. With a simple thought spikes shot out from his skin, piercing the dark tentacles that entrapped him and causing great discomfort to the powerful Rage.

"OW!" she roared, pulling her tentacles back after they had been skewered, "That' hurt!" she roared, unleashing eye beams

BeastBoy rolled out of the way before charging Rage, staying as low to the ground as he possibly could. Eye beams littered the battlefield as BeastBoy closed in, blanketing him in explosions and dust and for a moment Rage lost sight of the wily creature.

"Hmm…?" she mumbled, looking tentatively for her foe, "Where is…ah hah!" she chuckled, spotting him through the smoke, "Take this!" she yelled, throwing one of her larger tentacles toward him.

However, just before she could crush him he seemed to vanish in thin air, the tentacle hitting nothing but the ground below. Moments later he 'reappeared', from taking the form of a gnat, back to his dragon form, directly under Rage.

"Ha!" she yelled, horizontally swinging a tentacle at his head

BeastBoy ducked under it, avoiding the blow and in the same movement shot his head out toward her like a spring, connecting with her belly and effectively knocking the wind out of her.

"Ah…ah…ah…" she gasped as her world began to spin due to the lack of oxygen

Stumbling back Rage tried to right her self, but failed and ended up toppling to one side, taking in quick breaths to regain hers.

"I'll…get…you…" she muttered, before doubling over in pain again, "…Oh, will I…ever get…you." She said

BeastBoy growled at the fallen emotion, ready for anything that she might try to throw at him, though he hoped she wouldn't carry this fight on much longer. Even though she was the complete embodiment of everything bad about Raven, BeastBoy couldn't help but feel guilty that he was attacking Raven, even if it was just a part of her.

"Raven…" he thought glumly as the evil emotion struggled to her feet, a mixture of pain and anger on her face, "Sorry." He thought before rushing the emotion to finish her off once and for all

* * *

Hope you all like. 


	20. Cheese Please

Okay, this chapter officially ends the big drama that been created from the last two chapters. Not that I don't like drama, it's just that I'm not very good at writing it. I'm trying to get better but the thing about drama is that it is hard to capitalize on. Action is easy; you just let everything flow together in a timely fashion without getting monotonous, but drama…harder. But let's end the ranting and get back to the story, enjoy.

* * *

"So Love, _you _know of the spell used on Raven?" Wisdom asked, meeting the purple clad emotion's deceptive grin with an indifferent expression of her own, "Then tell us; just what is this spell that binds Raven so?" Wisdom asked

"For such an intuitive emotion sometimes you can't see the obvious." replied Love

"Then enlighten me?" Wisdom asked, undaunted by Love's jab

"It's actually a pretty complicated spell, so complicated that I'm impressed Rage even had the disposition to perform it correctly. She really must have been desperate to escape." Love commented, "What burning ambition. Even if it's for the wrong reasons."

"Will you…just get…ON WITH IT!" roared Courage, losing her temper, "I'm missing out on one heck of a battle cause Rae's out of it and all you can talk about is how cool some stupid spell is?!" she yelled, "Which one of Rage's spells is it?!" she bellowed

"So impatient." Replied Love, "Fine, I'll tell you. It isn't one of Rage's spells. That would have been far too obvious and would have easily been dealt with." She replied, "No, this is a spell of my own invention that Rage managed to use on Raven."

A dull silence filled the air before as the impact of what Love said began to settle. The emotions stayed quiet, intrigued by this new information. That was until the prevailing silence was interrupted by the loud laughter of Courage and Happy.

"Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah!" laughter Happy, unable to control her laughter, "Rage…hah, using one of…hah ha, your spells?!" she cried out, "I never thought…hah, ha, hah, that you could crack a joke! Boy…aha, hah, was I wrong! Hah, hah, hah, ha!" She laughed hysterically, "My ribs."

"Happy's right!" giggled Courage, "Rage hates you! Why'd she want to use one of your spells?" she asked, "She'd rather paint her cloak pink then use something of yours!"

"She may hate me with a passion, but that doesn't mean she doesn't respect my abilities. She knew none of her spells would have the power to keep Raven under lock and key for a long duration, especially without a demonic influence, but Raven has other feelings locked deep within and Rage used those to her advantage." Love replied

"Like what?" BumbleBee asked, after feeling left out of this conversation

"Well, Raven _is_ a girl, and most girls usually develop feelings for the…_opposite sex_." Replied Love, her lips curling into a devious grin

Said grin never retreated from her face as the emotion of affection looked off to the battle between Rage and BeastBoy, which seemed to be coming to an end.

"A very…fine-looking opposite sex." She added

"Whoa…never knew Raven was such a…" began BumbleBee, but Wisdom quickly interrupted

"Please, if this is truly a spell of your making, break it so that we may awaken Raven and put and end to all this turmoil?" she asked, the stoic look on her face never fading

"I would…but I can't." replied Love, a sheepish grin now on her face

"But it's your spell, your spell!" yelled BumbleBee, "You should be able to break you're spell!"

BumbleBee didn't like this place and its constant state of confusion. If it wasn't one thing it was something else and BumbleBee just wanted it to end.

"Yes, it is _my _spell, but I did mention that it was a complicated spell and it can't be simply broken with a wave of my hand." She replied

"So how do we break it?" Wisdom asked

"I know." Replied Knowledge, looking up from her tomb, "As she said, it is very _complicated _indeed."

* * *

Rage glared down BeastBoy with such an abundance of hate that if she bottled it up and sold it she'd make millions. Having outlasted her and duped her multiple times, Rage felt as if she were fighting a losing battle, though her pride wouldn't let her simply give in to the green menace. Besides, there was just too much on the line to lose for the rouge emotion.

"I won't lose." She thought obviously

Snapping from her thoughts she saw BeastBoy hurtling toward her, claws extended for an attack.

"I'll destroy him utterly in this next attack." She muttered, her tentacles thrashing about her wildly

Pitting the ground nearby Rage's tentacles took on a life of their own while she growled maliciously at the advancing BeastBoy, eyes full of hate and malice. BeastBoy wasn't daunted by the glare the emotion was sending his way and continued forward, slicing through the air with his flight speed while his front paw was held back to deliver a devastating final slash.

"Die!" yelled Rage, unleashing every tentacle she had at her disposal towards BeastBoy

It was as if a wave of pure darkness had descended upon BeastBoy, blocking out the little light that Rage's realm exuded. However this darkness, this turmoil, this _Raven_ didn't scare BeastBoy and he didn't falter, instead he brought down his claw with as much force as he could muster.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh…" Muttered Rage, thinking BeastBoy had been consumed by the darkness after he went head on with her attack

That was until she heard a strange ripping noise.

"What the…"

Moments later BeastBoy emerged, tendrils of dark energy still clinging to his hide as he tore his way through the darkness, right towards Rage. A piercing pain shot through Rage as her tentacles of darkness were ripped to pieces and the sudden shock of BeastBoy overwhelming such a devastating attack threw her off guard, giving BeastBoy ample time to crash into her, effectively toppling the demon and causing the tentacles that had not been rend to pieces to slither back into her cloak.

_GER-DOOSH!_

Rage hit the ground hard with BeastBoy still on top of her, his weight slightly crushing the larger demon.

"Get off of me!" she yelled, trying to summon the strength to throw BeastBoy off

However, without any tentacles or limbs to speak off to actually get a grip on the dragon, Rage couldn't do much against her slippery opponent. She tried to fire off laser shots from her eyes, but BeastBoy's flexible neck easily aloud him to avoid the shots and before long Rage exhausted her energy, unable to form eye beams to try and level the green dragon atop of her. A devilish smirk soon graced BeastBoy's features before he made the dragon-equivalent of pursing his lips.

"What the…?" muttered Rage

Even with the unimaginable amount of hatred that Rage had for BeastBoy at the moment she couldn't help but blush as he closed in, seemingly ready to lock lips with the demon. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with some viable explanation for why he was doing this. He couldn't have been that much of a perv, not BeastBoy, but the look on his face was undeniable; he was ready for some lip action.

"Y-y-you better n-not dare!" she yelled, though it came out more of a stutter

She felt like an utter fool. Only moments before she was trying to separate his head from his neck in the most painful fashion she could imagine. Now she was beginning to sweat and panic at the mere sight of his tongue slithering in and out of his mouth; 'dancing' in front of her. It was so uncommon for her to feel this, this anxiety, embarrassment, though disgust was common and was one of the many feelings she was experiencing at the moment. However, when she saw some _else _make its way out of her mouth she realized that BeastBoy had other intentions. Slowly a glob of spit emerged from his mouth and slowly made its way down to her face. Before long BeastBoy was effectively dangling the loogie over Rage's head, teasing her with it.

"You are so gross!" she hollered, desperately trying to get him off of her, but moving him only made the spit wad dangle closer to her head, "No…no!" She cried out, but the spit wad was ready to pop, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

_SPLAT!_

"That was SO gross." BumbleBee commented

"No, that was so cool." Replied a voice

Turning to the sound BumbleBee discovered that the owner of the voice was yet another Raven, this one clad in an orange cloak.

"Hey, you're that Raven that's been asleep this whole time. Boy oh boy, you can sleep through anything." BumbleBee commented, "It's been like an earthquake's been going off with those two." Referring to BeastBoy and Rage

"Thanks." The orange Raven replied happily, "But I'm glad I woke up just now, what BB did, that was so awesome." She replied with an enthusiastic smile on her face

"No, that was sick."

"I know awesome right?"

BumbleBee didn't reply; she simply shook her head in disgust before looking toward Wisdom. Not a word left BumbleBee's mouth but Wisdom immediately knew what the stripped fighter wanted to know.

"This is Lazy, embodying Raven's slothful and more uncouth nature." Wisdom said

BumbleBee nodded her head in acknowledgement. However, it didn't take long for her to make a comment about the current situation.

"After this is all said and done I think I'm gonna introduce Raven to some guys in white coats." She replied

"Hmm, seems the battle is over." Wisdom commented, watching as BeastBoy made his way back over to the group

BeastBoy trotted over to them, a victorious grin plastered on his face, with Rage snuggly enwrapped by his tail. She had returned to her normal size and the crimson, demonic eyes that had once been on her face had now been replaced with the violet ones that normally adorned the face of a Raven, though Rage's eye were wide in shock and confusion. She was also very wet…

"Awwwwwwwwwwwww…" Courage whined, "The battle's over." She muttered, glaring at Wisdom

"At least we discovered the spell used on Raven." Replied Wisdom

"Big deal, not like we can break it." She replied, "Only one of true sacrifice can break it or something. We just wasted time."

"Maybe, maybe not." Wisdom replied, "From what Wisdom has told us, only one of true sacrifice can break it, thus meaning that only someone close to Raven can break this spell, meaning her friends can do so."

Eyes floated between BumbleBee and BeastBoy, the only people in Raven's mind that were actually her friends and not herself.

"Well…then how do we do this?" BumbleBee asked eager to wake sleeping beauty and leave her twisted mind, "I'll volunteer."

"Uh…no. It does not work like that. The 'volunteer' must be someone Raven is exceptionally close to and preferably male."

"And?" BumbleBee asked, not getting the concept, "We just get Sparky or maybe Robin." She replied, "Heck, BeastBoy'll work, maybe."

BeastBoy grunted.

"Exactly, he will work; he's the only person who will work." Love replied

"Why just green bean?" BumbleBee asked

"Well, I felt a tad bit irritated with Raven's lack of expressing obvious feelings so I took the initiative to create a spell specifically designed to awaken those feelings." Love replied

"But you _are _her feelings and you're already woken up." BumbleBee replied

"No, I may exude feelings of passion, friendship, and self-love, but I am only a part of Raven's personality, like any of the emotions. Raven _feels_ on her own, those emotions are simply channeled through us and over the years I have been the conductor for quite a few feelings involving BeastBoy." She said, smirk deviously again

BeastBoy didn't like the way this conversation was going. He didn't know what Love was talking about but it sounded like it might embarrass him for the rest of his life, or cause Raven to injure him severely. Although BumbleBee seemed to be getting the gist of Love's explanation and a small smirk appeared on her lips as well.

"Oh…" was all BumbleBee said, "I see."

"Good, now then, would you like me to explain the specifics in order for BeastBoy to break this spell?" Love asked

"Don't you dare!" she heard someone yell at her

"Rage…give it up, you lost, but you put up a valiant effort." Love replied, "For an emotion devoid of compassion."

"Don't you patronize me you conniving witch!" Rage yelled, "Just because our views differ from each other doesn't make you any less dangerous as me. You're just dangerous in a different way, a worst way."

"Oh really. I don't enjoy destruction like you do Rage, only compassion." Love replied, "You hardly even care for Raven. As long as she can fight and live you don't care what else happens to her."

"Maybe, but you can hurt Raven just as, if not worst. A person can feel more than physical pain, something you know full well, that's why you made this spell!" Rage barked, "It's not even an original spell. She got the idea after Starfire made Raven watch some sappy movie about an idiotic princess that couldn't awake unless some stupid prince kissed her!" Rage barked

"Sleeping beauty?" Wisdom questioned, "Love, you didn't?" she asked, almost hopefully

"She did." Replied Knowledge, "The spell is right here." Replied the glasses wearing emotion, "Only someone truly close to Raven, who she has strong feelings for, can awaken her from this spell." She replied, "Love designed this spell with one person in mind, BeastBoy."

BeastBoy's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets and the sudden shock returned him back to his human form where he voiced his objection loudly and dropped Rage to the ground.

_Thump!_

"Ow." Muttered Rage, rubbing her now sore behind, "I'll get you for that." She growled

"WHAT! Dude, are you saying that I gotta kiss Raven to wake her up!?" he squealed

"In a nutshell." Replied Courage, "Go getter tiger." She cheered on, wearing the slightest of grins

"Yay!" cheered Happy in a burst of excitement

"Eep!" squeaked Timid, disappearing into her cloak from the sheer embarrassment

"Intriguing." Replied Knowledge, returning to her tome

"Whoa." Lazy commented

"Not a wise decision Love." Wisdom said, visibly sighing

"I think it's positively genius." The wily emotion declared

"A witch, plain and simple." Rage commented, "And they call _me_ underhanded, the nerve."

"So you set up this spell, for an occasion like this?" BumbleBee asked

"Well, I wasn't expecting Rage to take control of Raven, but I was planning on creating a beautiful and elaborate scene that would get BeastBoy to become the hero and awaken his sleeping princess, which would be Raven." Love replied, before falling into a stupor of romantic fantasies

"Raven is a very disturbed girl in her head, very disturbed indeed." BumbleBee noted

BeastBoy felt as if he had been shot in the heart with an arrow, though it was not cupid's arrow but a sharp, painful arrow that traveled down his stomach and made him a little queasy. Kissing was out of the question. If he ever _dared_ to pull a stunt like that with Raven he'd end up in a dumpster somewhere in pieces, and that's _if_ Raven left any.

"Are ya sure there's no other way?" BeastBoy asked, "PLEASE let there be another way, I'm begging ya dude!" he begged

"Sorry, but there is not." Replied Love, walking calmly over to the fidgeting BeastBoy, "Now, make sure when you do it that it's a **long** one, we want to make sure you to enjoy this…I know _I _will."

BeastBoy felt sick and looked over to BumbleBee, pleading with her to try and find a way out of this. She shrugged her shoulders, she had none. She hardly understood what was going on.

"Getting conspired against in your own head, that's a new one." She stated, "Sorry green bean, but ya know what, I'll pay for your doctor's bill." She replied

"Thanks, you such a _great_ friend." He remarked, sarcasm dripping from his tongue

"Go on." he heard Love say, eager to see young love blossom between her host and BeastBoy

With a long, exaggerated gulp the whimpering changeling made his way over to Raven, visible shaking from a mix of excitement, anticipation, and dread. He looked down at her sleeping form. She looked content, despite what had happened to her, though this wouldn't last for long when the kiss connected. BeastBoy could see himself know, being hurtled across the wasteland of Raven's mind, or something far worse. He slowly began to bend down, slowly closing in on Raven.

"Why don't you spit in her face? That sure shocked ME!" yelled Rage, scaring BeastBoy slightly

"Oh quiet you!" Love yelled back, "Go ahead BeastBoy." Love replied after returning her full attention to the scene before her

BeastBoy gulped again and continued his descent slowly, toward the empath's awaiting lips. BeastBoy could hear his heart beating a mile a minute inside his chest as he body temperature rose a few degrees. His lips quivered as he pursed them, only inches away. Everyone held their breaths, unable to speak or move as each waited anxiously for BeastBoy's kiss, with varying feelings about the moment.

"There's gotta be a way, there just gotta, a loophole or something…" BeastBoy thought, "…a loophole?"

BeastBoy stopped, centimeters way and a wicked grin shot across his face, for everyone to see. The air that couldn't seem to find a way into their lungs shot in, in a quick gasp after seeing BeastBoy lick his lips as if Raven was an appetizer and many thoughts flooded the emotions and BumbleBee.

"Heh." Chuckled BeastBoy and with lightening quick reflexes he landed a small peck on Raven's left cheek before quickly pulling away

Moments later a moan could be heard coming from Raven as she began to awake, while a dull silence dominated the small area. That was until…

"**_WHAT!?_**"

Small birds scattered due to the sudden screech that came from the throat of Love, who was unbelieving at the fact that her spell had been broken by a simple peck on the cheek.

"Bah, ha, ha, ha, ha, hah!" laughed Rage, falling over with laughter, "Some powerful spell!" she cackled, "I don't even know _why_ I thought one of your spells would be powerful!" she guffawed

"How…how…h-h-how…" Love stuttered, unable to comprehend the event unfolding before her, "BeastBoy he didn't…he was suppose to…" she continued to stutter, "YOU!" she snarled, pointing to BeastBoy with a glare, "You **_cheated!_**"

"That is inaccurate..." replied Knowledge, her nose still in her tome, "...The conditions of your spell required someone close to Raven to kiss her, it didn't specify where or how long said kiss had to be." she explained

"Yeah, BeastBoy scores the loophole!" BeastBoy cheered, hopping up and down like a jumping bean

Love's jaw dropped as she just realized that she had been beaten at her own game. While the emotion of compassion gawked at her defeat, BeastBoy continued to beam at his recent victory.

"Well whatta you know dude, I outsmarted Raven. Well technically it was part of her so that might not count, but still, I can't let her live this down." he said proudly, "But if she finds out she might murder me…dilemmas, dilemmas." he pondered

"Well green bean, guess you came out on top with this one." BumbleBee remarked, giving the poor changeling a powerful noogie

"Nice one BB." replied Courage, getting her own piece of BeastBoy's head

"Don't leave me out!" Happy giggled, joining the head pummeling game

"Hey, hey, ow, ow, uncle, uncle!" BeastBoy cried out as he was engulfed

Eventually the three girls backed off to let BeastBoy recover. The changeling tentatively began to rub the top of his head. A slight pain rang through as the girls had been kinda rough, but he still smiled brightly, too happy with his recent victory to really care. But concern for his well-being was still felt by one emotion.

"A-a-are you o-o-kay?" asked a tentative voice

Still rubbing his head BeastBoy replied to Timid, smiling gingerly.

"Yeah I'm fine, I'm BeastBoy after all, nothing can hurt me." he replied

"Yes, you are BeastBoy." replied Timid, with an ever so small smile

BeastBoy's smiled brightened further and it would have fallen off his face had it grown any larger.

"Well, well, well…this is such a _touching_ moment…someone gag me." muttered Rage

Rage began to stomp over to BeastBoy, a scowl planted on her face, but a group of girls stood between her and BeastBoy. Happy, Courage, and Timid stayed by his side while BumbleBee took a stand right in between the group and Rage.

"Where do you think you're going?" BumbleBee asked, arms crossed while she stared down at the red emotion with a glare

"Don't worry you pinball-looking head over it, I'm just going over to the green buffoon to tell him something." she replied

"That something wouldn't involve killing him, would it?" BumbleBee asked, her glare intensifying

"There'd be no point, I already lost and if you didn't know I do have honor in battle." Rage replied

BumbleBee raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Let her pass." replied Wisdom

"Hmm?" BumbleBee mumbled questionably

"It's alright, we can trust her." Wisdom replied, "She may be a trouble-maker but she isn't a liar."

"Fine." replied BumbleBee, stepping aside

With the BumbleBee roadblock out of the way, Rage continued her venture toward BeastBoy, meeting up with the next roadblock.

"Just cause Wisdom said it was okay doesn't mean you're getting by." replied Courage "You got something to say, say it from there."

"Yeah." replied Happy, sticking her tongue out at Rage

Timid held onto BeastBoy in a vice-like grip. Whether this was out of fear for herself or for BeastBoy was unknown, but one thing was certain, she wasn't letting go.

"Goodness…" Rage grumbled, "Fine then!" she yelled, losing her temper, "Look you! You may have been able to overcome me, but do you think Raven can!?" she yelled at BeastBoy, "Remember, I'm a side of Raven's personality which means I'm a part of her. Anything I do is just a reflection of what Raven feels. Do you really think you can overcome that!?"

"I can try." replied BeastBoy

"You're too damn idealistic!" Rage roared, "You can't be there for her all the time, no one can."

"Maybe, but I'll be there when I can. 'Cause the more I can be there for her the more I won't need to." he replied

"Wow BeastBoy, where'd you get that one, the back of the cereal box?" BumbleBee asked

"Yeah, so?"

"I-I just can't break you, can I? Physically or mentally?" Rage murmured to herself, "Are you just an idiot or do you really think that?"

"Well I'd say there's a few marbles lost in that old head of his but I think the big reason is that BeastBoy's nice; too nice." BumbleBee replied, "They say nice guys finish last, but in BeastBoy's case he'd never finish the race." BumbleBee commented

"Hey!"

Rage grunted.

"What…what is going on?" they heard someone say

All attention was turned back to the primary reason for this excursion. Raven had finally, fully awoken from her unconscious state, rising to a sitting position to look about the group of people, bewildered. However, it didn't take her long to analyze the current situation and give her own feedback.

"Uh Raven, you alright?" BeastBoy asked, genuinely concerned for her safety

"Yes, but you won't." she threatened, though no hint of anger could be heard in her voice, "Let me guess, you got worried, like you usually do and decided to invade my privacy, like you usually do, and went inside my head, like you did before, to try and help me, like you usually do?" she asked

"You're good." replied BumbleBee

"Why are you here?" Raven asked

"Olive Boy over here dragged me into you freaky head." BumbleBee replied, "I still got to deliver a little pay back for that one." she said, glaring at BeastBoy

"I suspected as much. BeastBoy doesn't think, he acts and most of the time it's foolishly."

"But he saved you!" replied Happy, jumping into the conversation, "If it wasn't for him then Rage woulda took over and you'd still be sleep and BB would have never have woke you up with a ki…"

"Whatever." replied Raven, annoyed, getting up from the slab of rock she was sitting on

Slowly the sorceress walked toward BeastBoy, a rather indifferent look upon her face; though that didn't stop the emotions from moving aside as she drew near, like the lioness on the prowl. BeastBoy watched Raven approached with mixed feelings of relief and nausea. On one hand he was overjoyed beyond words to see that Raven was okay, on the other hand he wondered if Raven was mad or not. She didn't seem it, but she didn't seem entirely happy either. But those thoughts were pushed aside when she approached as he barred himself for the verbal abuse that was surely coming his way. The only problem was that it wasn't verbal abuse that hit him.

_SMACK!_

Raven's hand came fast and sharp, leaving no room for avoidance or even detection. BeastBoy didn't even realize she hit him until after the pain set in. His eyes grew wide in confusion, leaving him in a dazed stupor, unable to retort to the abrupt attack on his person.

"Oh…" BumbleBee muttered, "That had to hurt."

"I ask you time and time again to stay out of my business but you refuse to comprehend." Raven began, her voice rising slightly, "I don't know what's so hard about it, don't venture where you're not suppose to go and we can go through life rather content, but you don't know when to quit. You're too…nosy." she replied

Now BumbleBee wasn't the one to jump into a conversation that she clearly wasn't a part of but she thought Raven was being a little hard on the changeling. Sure, he invaded her privacy, but he really had no choice.

"Yo Raven. Look, it's not entirely his fault. It's not like I tried to stop him or anything. Sure, he dragged me in here but I could have done something so…"

"No, it _is_ his fault. It was his idea to come here, his idea to bring you here, and his idea to stop Rage." she replied, her voice rising in volume once again

BeastBoy was just recovering from the blow Raven inflicted on him, holding his left cheek with his left hand, rubbing it softly. His cheek didn't hurt much but he needed to massage it. It was the only thing keeping him from going into a daze again as he tried to figure out just why Raven had struck him.

"Weird, Raven hits me all the time and it never hurts like this." He thought, a feeling of self-loathing rising in his belly, "I think…I really messed up this time." he thought, a solemn look on his face

"BeastBoy!" Raven called, wanting his full attention

BeastBoy snapped back to reality and looked dead into Raven's eyes, trying to find out what was making her so mad. He figured it was because of him but there was something else, something hidden behind her eyes, but he couldn't tell what it was.

"I will tell you, one finally time. Stay out of my personal life and we can get along as friends. If you cross that line one final time, don't bother considering me that."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" BumbleBee cried out, "The guy just saved you from yourself and all you have to say in return is 'Stay out of my life or else'? Aren't you taking this a tad too far?"

"I didn't ask him to help me. I didn't ask for him to stop Rage. I didn't…I didn't…" she muttered, her anger quickly cooling down

Though Raven didn't finish her sentence BeastBoy finished it for her. She didn't want him to do anything to stop her; that was including…

"You…didn't want me to save Malchior, did you?" he asked, "Even though Rage was controlling you, you wanted her to put him out of his misery?"

"Why…why did you have to get in the way? Couldn't you just have…" she asked, her voice cracking slightly

Raven was feeling disgusted with herself. Admitting to herself that she wanted to commit such a heinous act made her feel lower than she ever had felt in a long time. But no matter what she couldn't deny the fact that she wanted to destroy Malchior.

"I couldn't just let her…"

"He's evil, pure and simply. He doesn't have a redeeming quality about him." She interrupted, not caring how she cold she sounded "He lies, cheats, steals, and doesn't care who he has to step on to get what he wants." She said, reliving past memories, "He doesn't deserve pity nor mercy. The world would be better off without him, so much better off." she replied, her voice lowering to simply a whisper

"Just what did…" BumbleBee began, wondering what Malchior could have done to her

But before she could continue she was dragged away by Raven's emotions. The group took her out of earshot, although Rage and surprisingly Timid stayed behind.

"What's going on?" BumbleBee asked

"I would be better if Raven and BeastBoy worked this out themselves, without an audience." replied Wisdom

"So what about those two?" BumbleBee protested, "Rage is there standing there, you know, the one who caused all this? BumbleBee asked

"They'll be fine. The actual 'problem' involves those two as it is." Wisdom replied, "Just give it time."

* * *

BeastBoy was confused, even though he now knew why Raven was so mad at him. Still, she was angry with him because he stopped her from doing what she hated most? She hated him right now because he stopped her from feeling the hate that she despised? She was spiteful towards him because he kept her human instead of demon, even though she hated being demon?

"Girls sure are weird." he thought, "Uh Raven, do you hate me?" he asked, "Cause seriously dude, if you do then, well, that's okay." he replied

Raven looked up at the boy with slight confusion. It was 'okay' to hate him…there had to be a catch. Maybe he hated her as well.

"I don't blame him." She thought, "I've become so hypocritical, so cold, so…" she thought as her thoughts wandered

"If you do hate me Raven then I won't stop you. I can't stop you from hating me. But no matter what I'm gonna keep you from hating yourself or any part of yourself, even the part of yourself that ain't exactly the friendliest fish in the sea, no offense." he replied, referring to Rage

"None taken." replied Rage

Raven raised an eyebrow questionably to BeastBoy's reply. She was shocked that he wasn't mad, but she wouldn't let him know that. However, she had to explain a few things to the changeling.

"I don't hate you." Raven replied, her voice returning to its normal monotone, "I hate myself for losing control and I took my anger out on you." she replied

"If that's the case why won't ya let me help you?" he asked, "I mean all I want to do is make sure you're okay." he replied genuinely

"I shouldn't need your help. I shouldn't need someone to watch over me to protect me from myself. I should have the self-control to handle my rage and I hate myself because I don't. I hate Malchior and I don't even have the power to keep that hate within me."

"You shouldn't have to keep it inside…I don't." he replied, "When I get mad, boy do I ever get mad." he replied, "Like the time Robin made us do that long obstacle course, you know, the one that left bruises. Dude, I sure let him know I was seriously pissed off at him. Even though I had kitchen duty for a month I sure felt better that I got that off my chest."

"That's because you can. Besides, the hate I'm talking about isn't simply about some inconvenience I experienced. If that was the case I would have killed you off long ago." she replied, "I have a deep hatred toward Malchior…you know why."

BeastBoy sighed. Of course he knew; he was the only one who actually knew the whole story, which came from invading her privacy. Raven loved Malchior while he was still in the book, truly, and then he dashed her heart like someone throwing down fragile glass. BeastBoy knew because he too knew what it felt like to have someone rip out you heart and play baseball with it. The only thing that was different between him and Raven was the fact that he had moved on. It still hurt, but he knew it was something that happened and that couldn't be changed. He understood that with Malchior's return, old feelings rose back up, not unlike himself with Terra's return. It hurt to see his lost love again but he wouldn't let that tragedy take him over and he didn't want Raven to descend into that same pit with Malchior.

"Raven…there's nothing I can say." he replied, "I can't just tell you to get over it cause I don't know how you're mind works." he replied, "Well actually I do, since I'm sorta here and everything, but still, I can't stop you from hating Malchior but I can help you, if you want?" he asked

"How?" she asked, her voice never wavering

"The only way I know how." he replied, "I promise from this day on I'll always be there for you, no matter what." he told her, "I mean, didn't I tell you, you aren't alone?" he replied with a grin

"Why, why are you so adamant about it? Can't you just let it go? Why do you want to help me so much, and don't tell me it's just because we're friends, cause it's more than that, I know."

BeastBoy visibly gulped. Damn Raven's ability to sense emotions. Once again nausea hit him and he just wanted to slowly disappear. But since that wasn't going to happen anytime soon he needed to come up with something to tell the awaiting sorceress.

"Well…you want to know the real reason why?" he asked, stepping toward her

Before she could react he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, looked dead into her eyes and smiled. Raven's face lit up like he Fourth of July, along with Timid's, whose face resembled that of a cooked lobster.

"Finally!" Love whispered happily, "That peck earlier was just to get us worked up for this…it's wonderfully torturous."

"I didn't think the grass stain had it in him." BumbleBee remarked, "Damn, I wish I had a camera."

"B-B-BeastBoy?" Raven stuttered, immediately feeling like a fool for stuttering like one

Her breathing became heavy as BeastBoy gazed down toward her, which wasn't by much mind you, but just enough to make Raven feel small compared to him. She was too close to him, far to close. She could feel his muscles against her own, his breath tickling her face, his eyes penetrating her own as if he had X-Ray vision. She trembled slight, scared and anxious for what was coming next, like the anticipation for a birthday present, whether it would be good or bad, but not knowing. The only difference was that she knew what was coming.

"Well, other than the fact I care for you Raven." he began, his voice lowering to a sensual pitch, "The reason I want to help you so bad…is…because…"

This was it, the defining moment, the point of no return; the part that would change Raven and BeastBoy's relationship for all time! The emotions and BumbleBee were on the edge of their seats (even though they were standing) as they waited for what was sure to come.

"I never give up on anything and I swore that one day I would make you laugh at one of my jokes and I'd be calling myself a quitter if I just up and stopped. So I'm always gonna help you cause its fun!" he replied, smiling brightly

Raven was quite, Timid was quiet, Wisdom was quiet, Love was dead silent, BumbleBee was quiet, Lazy was asleep, Happy was surprisingly quiet, Courage was quiet, and Knowledge was deep in thought. Only Rage voiced her option.

"Ha…" she began, "Ha, ha…ha, ha, ha, ha…" she snickered, "Heh, heh, heh, heh…ha ha…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she laughed, losing all self-control and falling to the ground in hysterics

"B-B-BeastBoy…" Timid stuttered, her whole body shaking

BeastBoy was sure the quiet emotion was going to faint, but instead of fainting she did quite the opposite and flung herself at BeastBoy in a full body tackle, completely forgetting that he was still holding Raven. Both Raven and BeastBoy went down when Timid hit and BeastBoy's world quickly went grey as Timid smothered him in a hug.

"T-T-Thank you." she replied, "So very much."

"What for?" BeastBoy asked, trying to right himself, but failing

"For caring enough to go against the person you care for so much." she replied, "You are truly, truly a special person to Raven." she told him

"Uh…thanks?" he replied, "Do I get some sort of prize or something?" he asked, successfully sitting

"How 'bout another hug!" he heard a cheery voice say before he was engulfed by another Raven, Happy, "You are the sweetest, funniest, and smelliest guy I know." she said

"Hey!"

"Don't let her get to ya BB, she's just messing with you, you don't smell _that_ bad. Besides, a little funk proves you're a man." replied yet another Raven, Courage this time

In one gesture she lifted up all four of them to a standing position with her powers, a big smile on her face.

"Thanks." BeastBoy replied

"No problem." she replied, before she too engulfed him in a hug

Raven was still in shock over BeastBoy's answer. Was it impossible for him to take anything seriously or was he just a jokester that never knew when to quit? But as she looked into his eyes she saw no deceit. In his own, weird way he was being completely sincere with her. It may not have been the dramatic response Raven had been expecting but all and all BeastBoy had shown her that he was there for her, no matter what happened or who stood in his way. His feelings may not have been the one's Love was hoping for, but they were strong nonetheless. To BeastBoy, Raven was his very special person.

"Thank you…BeastBoy." he heard the original Raven say before tightening her grip on him, "For being a loveable idiot."

"Too…many…Ravens." he managed to squeak, trying his best to escape their grasp, "Somebody get…a crowbar."

"Alright, enough of this mushy stuff." BumbleBee retorted, "Can we get out of this place or what?" she asked, "I'm tired and would like to get to sleep." she told them, "Seriously, hug on your own time."

"Can't breath. Everything's going Raven." BeastBoy breathed

"Idiot." Raven replied, smirking

* * *

And that's the end of this chapter. I know I'm gonna make some enemies with this one; I can feel it. I'll either be beaten for a cliché drama or strangled for such a corny ending. Luckily this is the last bit of serious drama between Raven and BeastBoy. The next chapter will have some action in it, setting you up for the final battles to come. 


	21. What a Boob

Now back to business. After their enlightening romp through Raven's mind the Titans are ready to leave and deal with their other problems. And for those who wanted a little fluff, prepare yourself because here it comes.

* * *

BeastBoy felt like he was king of the world at the moment. Not only did he help Raven, but the green boy also gained her unwavering trust in him, something he'd been striving for ever since he first met the girl. Now all he needed to do was get her to laugh at one of his jokes and his life would be complete. Currently, he, BumbleBee, and the Raven's were making their trek toward the Forbidden Door so that he, BumbleBee, and Raven could finally leave her mind. Courage and BumbleBee lead the group, followed by Happy and Love, who in turn lead Wisdom, Knowledge, and Lazy, who themselves were followed by Timid and Rage. Finally Raven and BeastBoy made up the rear of the group, BeastBoy occasionally looking left and right as if he was watching out for something. Raven didn't need her powers to tell her why he was looking about like a prairie dog. After losing control of her body twice in the course of a week, BeastBoy was being a tad overprotective of the cloaked female. Truthfully she didn't need it, though BeastBoy would have said otherwise, but she didn't say anything. It was rather…sweet he cared so much. 

"He's so kind." She thought

Though her face stayed in its usually monotone setting, her feelings about him and his eagerness to protect her was going a mile a minute and her emotions knew. Every so often she would spot one of them looking back at her and BeastBoy, smiling. Although each smile had a different appeal to it, the same general message was sent.

"She's starting to like him." They all thought

Even though the changeling was keeping a watchfully eye out for any dangers that might befall the group, he was still absolutely delighted at his recent success. Raven was back to her normal self…hopefully, he was able to solidify his and Raven's friendship, and best of all it seemed Raven wasn't universally mad at him for going into her head again. She simply looked indifferent as they closed in on the Forbidden Door. However he decided not to push his luck by saying he was sorry he went into her head. If he was lucky she might just dismiss the entire thing as not a big deal.

"So Rae?" called BumbleBee, "I have to say, being in your head has been a time in my life I hope I soon forget. I don't know how BB and Sparky were able to handle it the first time, hell, I not sure how BB can stand it now." she replied

"Bee!" he squeaked, trying to keep the talkative winged girl quiet

"Hell, he must enjoy coming here or something cause I've on the verge of losing my mind. But what do I know. He's probably this way to hide the fact that you'll kill him for coming here."

"Bee!" he cried out angrily, but the damage had already been done

"You're right. But he hasn't a clue about how angry I am for his little _intrusion_." she replied, "But he'll know soon enough. I can assure you of that." She said, glaring slightly at the boy

After all, even though she was truly thankful for BeastBoy's assistance, she was still annoyed that he invaded her privacy yet again.

"I…hate…you…Bee!" he seethed, boiling with anger

"Hey, this is payback for dragging me into this crazy place." She replied, "I'd do it myself but I can guess that Raven as even worst in store for you."

"I…hate…you…Bee!" he repeated

"I-I-Is that true?" he heard a quiet voice say, directing his attention to the grey cloaked emotion who could feel the anger in his words

BeastBoy looked at BumbleBee, smiling smugly and then at Timid. The moment he did his anger subsided to that of being slightly annoyed.

"I h-hope it's not…" the emotion trailed off

BeastBoy sighed and the rest of his anger left him, leaving him rather confused. He wanted to be angry at BumbleBee, really he did, but he just couldn't with Timid looking up at him, worried.

"Nah, I don't hate her." He said reassuringly, "But I'm gonna get her back for this." He replied quietly, grinning

Timid wasn't exactly sure what BeastBoy had in store for BumbleBee, but that didn't matter. She was just happy he didn't have any hatred toward the stripped fighter and with a slight nod and small smile she turned back around to catch up with the others.

"Weird." BeastBoy thought as he watched the grey emotion skip off

He didn't know why, but he just couldn't see Raven saddened by something. He wanted to make the girl happy the best way he could but there was something else, something more, nagging in the back of his mind. A simple smile from Raven, no matter what part of her it might have been, caused him to feel a sense of fulfillment, a sense of joy. He could only imagine what he'd feel if he ever got her to laugh. And, as he thought about it, something else became clearer to him. He'd just about do anything for the cloaked sorceress, he'd even go as far as lay his life down for her and he wished he knew just why that was so. He knew it dealt with more than being friends but as he delved on the matter more it simply confused him. He wondered what was he feeling for the dark girl and a better question, why?

"Gah…" he groaned inwardly, "Maybe I'll just ask Cy or something." He thought, banishing the thoughts away for the moment

As he did so he noticed the Forbidden Door over the hill the group had finished climbing and a bucket of relief poured over him.

"We're almost out!" he cried happily, throwing his hands in the air and whooping loudly in joy, "Yeah!"

"Could you be any louder?" Raven asked

"YES!" BumbleBee cried out happily, "I am so ready to get out of this freaky place!" She replied

"Gah…" muttered Raven, those two were yelling far too much for her

In a state of pure joy the two raced off toward the door, bounding along without a care in the world. That was until BeastBoy tripped, crashed into BumbleBee, causing the two to tumbled to the ground in a heap of arms and legs.

"Idiot." Muttered Raven

"Moron." Muttered Rage

"BeastBoy!" BumbleBee barked, "Do you have balance or what?" she asked him, throwing him off of her

"Sorry, guess I wasn't watching where I was going." He replied sheepishly

"Yeah, guess so." She muttered, "Let's just get out of here." She said, trotting over to the Forbidden Door, "So I just go on through?" she asked, turning back to Raven

"That's generally what you do when you see a door." Raven replied indifferently

"Hey, I'm just wanted to make sure I don't end up somewhere crazier than this place!" she yelled

"Don't worry BumbleBee, Raven would never send us anywhere crazy…I think." BeastBoy replied, grinning

"That makes me feel so much better." Replied BumbleBee sarcastically

"No really, Raven's cool like that." He replied

"_BeastBoy!_" someone cried out happily, latching onto his back and bringing their arms around his neck

It only took him seconds to realize it was Love hanging onto him, a wide, warm smile on her face.

"You are the sweetest thing ever!" she said happily, snuggling up against him, latching onto the poor boy like a leech. While she held steadfast to the boy, BeastBoy could feel her hands wander and it didn't take long for those hands to start exploring areas they shouldn't.

"Wait, stop, L-Love, don't do that!" he told her, but she refused to let go

"Why?" she asked, her voice taking a sudden, seductive tone, "Don't you like it?" she asked, purring into his ear

"Raven!"

"Enough of that." He heard Raven order

Love, turned to face the blue cloaked girl, half disappointed, half leering at her host, but by Raven's order Love reluctantly let go of BeastBoy, who in turned sighed heavily in relief.

"You're no fun." Love pouted, excessively pushing her lips out to emphasize her point

"Yeah, and?"

"BeastBoy liked it, didn't you?" Love asked

"Well actually…" he trailed off, not wanting to sound _too_ put off by Love's overzealous jester

"Look what you've done to the boy. He's so scared of doing something perverted he can't even enjoy the simple things a woman can bring him." Love replied, eyeballing BeastBoy, "You really need to show him these things, and soon Raven." She replied, smiling wickedly, "We don't want this cutie to grow up without the knowledge of how to please a woman." She replied

BeastBoy morphed into a small turtle and hid in his shell, too embarrassed to show his face in front of so many females as Love blatantly explained the birds and bees to Raven.

"Please, don't make me hurl." Raven replied, "The only explaining he needs is that I'll snap his spine like a twig if he _ever_ tried anything." She replied

Timid gasped and rushed over to BeastBoy, scooping him up in her arms and stroking his shell protectively.

"She doesn't mean that." Timid said quietly

"Well I know BeastBoy would be a proper gentleman. It just doesn't hurt to have a little expertise in certain fields, if you know what I mean." Love commented

"Well he'll be keeping himself out of any of my _fields_ if you catch my drift." Raven retorted

The other Ravens watched as the two continued to argue over BeastBoy, the changeling in question felt as if the world was falling on him, with no mercy.

"Yo, green bean." He heard BumbleBee call

He pulled his head out of his shell to acknowledge her and she continued.

"Look, you're never gonna get this to end unless you get in there and referee." She told him, "And before you go all, this is a girl's problem, you need to realize they're fighting over you so it's only logical that you are the one to stop it."

"But he might get hurt." Timid said, whining somewhat

She didn't want BeastBoy to ever get hurt as long as she was around.

"Please, he'll be fine." She replied, taking hold of his shell, "Now go in there and shut them up so we can leave!" she yelled, flinging BeastBoy toward the quarreling Raven's

Instinctively he retreated back into his shell out of fear of hitting a nearby rock and cracking his shell, but instead of hitting something hard and rocky he hit something soft and bouncy. Now he knew there was nothing in Raven's mind that was soft and/or bouncy so he was quite confused with his landing and for some reason he was scared to peep out to see.

"_Le Gasp!_" he heard everyone gasp, strengthening his resolve to stay in his shell, however, from his vantage point he could see Raven glaring down at him, visibly holding back her unbridled rage she was currently feeling for him

He wondered why she was so mad until he realized one key point of information. He was looking _up_ at Raven from an _angle_ and was being suspended just below her shoulder blade. He began adding things up and as he did so, fear and dread slowly crept into him.

"Please don't let me be sitting where I think I'm sitting." He asked, but the fates enjoyed a good laugh now and again

BeastBoy looked out to see that he was currently resting on a nice set of…female pillows at the moment, the best if not most dangerous place in the world for him to be at the moment. The glare he was receiving from Raven was so piercing he swore lasers would shoot from her eyes, and since this was Raven, they most likely would. He had always wondered what it would be like to die in this particular situation, though he never dreamed it would be happening to him, the dying part mostly.

"Well if ya gotta go." He thought, preparing for the end

_**BEASTBOY!**_

* * *

The emotions were busy saying their heartfelt goodbyes after BeastBoy recovered from his traumatic experience. Since repeating the awful event would scar children for years to come, let's just say the green changeling will never become a small turtle in BumbleBee's vicinity ever again. He also swore he'd get BumbleBee back for this, somehow, even though the yellow clad girl continually apologized for her rash judgment and inaccurate throwing ability. She had really been trying to aim for in-between the two Ravens. 

"We're gonna miss ya BB." Happy replied, not as happily as usual

"I'll miss you too." Replied BeastBoy, "And hey, maybe after Raven forgives me for BumbleBee's lack of accuracy I can visit or something."

"Really?!" she asked excitedly

"Sure, I'd love to come back." He replied

"And you'll tell me new jokes and bring me something!?" she asked giddy

"You know it."

"Eeeee!" she squealed, hugging BeastBoy for all she was worth

"Somebody…help." He wheezed

It took a combined effort from Rage and Courage to pry the pink emotion off of BeastBoy.

"Watch yourself." Replied Courage with a grin, "And don't go soft on me." She told him, punching his arm

"I'll try not to." He replied, hoping that his arm hadn't officially dislocated

"And Bee, keep his butt in line cause I can't watch him all the time." She told BumbleBee

"Don't worry about." Replied BumbleBee, "I won't let him get himself kill or anything." She replied

"Y-y-you promise to be careful?" Timid asked timidly

"I swear on the bruises Raven gave me." He replied

"I just…don't want to see you get…hurt." She told him

"What did I tell you earlier."

"Y-Your BeastBoy."

"And?"

"Nothing can hurt you."

"Bingo." He replied, "So stop worrying so much, or what will happen?"

"I'll get wrinkles."

"Right." He replied, giving her a wide grin

She returned it, albeit very small.

"I do hope you take care of yourself BeastBoy. You're carefree nature may be your strength but it can also be your weakness if not kept in check with patience and a clear head." Wisdom advised

"That's what I got Raven for." He replied

"I have been able to collect a great deal of data from this excursion and I am anxious to collect more after you have exited Raven's mind." Replied Knowledge

"What am I, a guinea pig?"

"You can change into one." She replied

BeastBoy rolled his eyes.

_BURP!_

"How was that B?" Lazy asked

"Hmm, control the volume so you can give it a deep rumble and try for a longer one." Replied BeastBoy, "Like this."

_**BUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

"Nice."

"Disgusting." Muttered Raven

Rage slowly made her way over to BeastBoy, an air of uncertainty followed her. Though she wasn't much of a threat at the moment, Courage and BumbleBee still stiffen as she approached, ready to jump her if she should try something. BeastBoy on the other hand was rather relaxed with her approach. Not for the fact he didn't think she was dangerous but because he knew Raven could do **far** worst than anything Rage thought of.

"You…" she replied, effectively directing everyone to their conversation, "I will…miss you presence." Said awkwardly

Rage just didn't know how to say goodbye in a manner that didn't involve a lot of violence.

"You're presence too?" Replied BeastBoy awkward as well

He never had to say goodbye to someone's _presence_ before.

"Stay alive, for I'm not done with you yet." She said, "I have…**plans** for you." She said, turning to leave,

"What, kind of plans?" BeastBoy asked

Rage simply chuckled to herself as she left.

"Rage?"

She continued to chuckle.

"Maybe I am better off with Raven." He thought

"_BeastBoy_." Called a sultry voice, "You'll miss me, right?" asked Love, slying moving up beside the boy

BeastBoy was torn. If he said yes, Raven would beat him into a puddle. If he said no he'd risked making Love feel bad and he didn't want that to happen. But being beaten to a puddle wasn't fun either.

"Well if you're not gonna answer…" she pouted, turning her back to him

"No, no, I just…well…" he started, feeling stupid for hesitating, "Yeah, I'll miss ya." He said, "Just not the way you act." He told her blatantly

Most girls would have been very offended by that remark; however other girls would have thought it was a sign of maturity that he spoke his mind. Love, was one of those girls that was in-between.

"Well then, I guess I'll have to change that." Love replied, "But, not everything I do is naughty…unless you want it that way?" she asked

"Grrr…" he heard Raven growl

"Let's just start as being friends." He replied quickly

"Fine with me, but don't think that'll last." She said, "Bye cutie. Come back, _**anytime**_."

"Yeah, I'm _way_ better off with Raven." He thought

"Blah, blah, blah. We said our goodbyes, can we leave now?" BumbleBee asked

"Sure, let's go." Replied Raven walking toward BeastBoy, grabbing his hand and dragging him through the Forbidden Door

BumbleBee quickly followed after and within seconds the portal that opened Raven's mind to the real world finally closed.

* * *

"**_Have you created a suitable body for me to inhabit?_**" asked a dark, ominous, and cold voice 

"Yes my master, this body will prove more than reliable for you to carry out your dark deeds." Replied another voice

"**_After much time I will finally be released back into the world of man._**" Replied the voice, "**_I have spent far too much time in his accursed mirror, wilting away my vast power for the greedy and foolish._**"

"Yes, my master, but soon you will be free and will be able to do what you wish with this world."

"**_Yes, however, first I must deal with the enemies that you have sold you soul to me, to defeat, correct?_**"

"Yes, my master. Once they are defeated you may take you conquest of this world."

"**_You even told me that one is the daughter of Trigon, intriguing._**" The voice said, "**_It will be amusing to test my power against hers._**"

"You'll leave the green one for me, right my master?"

"**_I make no guarantees. If you want him for yourself you will take him before he faces me._**"

"Yes."

"**_The time has almost come, make the final preparations._**"

"Yes, my master."

This dark and ominous force was finally ready to be released; it was only a matter of time.

* * *

"Finally, out of there." BumbleBee sighed, relief washing over her like a waterfall, "I hope I don't have dreams about that place." 

"I hope you learn how to throw in the near future." Replied BeastBoy

"I said I was sorry!"

"Yeah, yeah." He muttered

"I hope you two get out of my room before I ring your necks." Replied Raven

"Right." They replied as one, walking toward her door

The door opened and they were immediately bombarded by light from the outside.

"It must be early morning." BeastBoy replied

"Crap, no sleep for us." Muttered BumbleBee, stepping into the hallway

"BeastBoy." Raven called just as BeastBoy and BumbleBee left her room

BeastBoy turned around to see Raven look straight at him, hood down, a solemn look adorning her facial features.

"Uh…Raven, something wrong?" he asked

"About earlier, during breakfast…I'm…sorry I snapped at you." She said awkwardly, as if the sentence was a new addition to the English language

Apologizes just weren't her thing.

"Don't worry about it." BeastBoy replied, "You were just mad, that's all."

"No, it isn't. I guess I wasn't as over Malchior as I thought." She replied, "I took my anger out on you and even with all the stupid things you do, you didn't deserve that."

"Really Raven, I'm okay. I'm use to it."

"Why can't you be angry with me?" she asked, "Why are you so okay with this?"

"Cause they're would be no point. What I am I suppose to say, don't get angry with the guy?" he asked, "I understand, really. Things like this happen. No point in getting all worked up over them." He said

"Are you always this carefree?" She asked

"Yeah, but I'd kill for a vacation." He joked

Raven didn't laugh nor did she smile, but she accepted.

"Goodbye BeastBoy." She said, though the way her voice soften betrayed lingering emotions

"See ya Raven."

"BeastBoy?" she called once again

"Huh?"

Before he knew what hit him, her face was next to his, planting a small peck on his cheek before she disappeared into her room, door firmly closed. He stood there facing her closed door for some time, unable to really come up with a rebuttal for Raven's unexpected gesture.

"Whoo…" whooped BumbleBee, breaking the uneasy silence "Smooth Casanova."

BeastBoy's faced turned a host of different shades of red as he tried his hardest to keep his composure. He wondered why every time he came from Raven's room after helping her, he ended up blushing.

"Come on Romeo, maybe I can still get some sleep before the others wake up." She replied, dragging BeastBoy away, with little resistance, for he too was very tired

* * *

It was mid-day and most of the Titans had assembled in the common room, all except three. 

"Okay, this is weird. I'll admit, BB can sleep a whole day away with his lazy self and even Bee can be pretty lazy _sometimes_, but Rae, she's always one of the first people up." Cyborg replied, "If she's sleeping in then something's definitely wrong." he replied

"The're probably just tired, you're thinking into it too much." replied Speedy, "Pass the pancakes."

"Teníamos muchos huevos y gofres!" Menos and Mas cried out happily, digging into their plates

"I'm not sure what they said, but I'm gonna agree with them." Speedy replied, taking the pancakes, "Just let 'em sleep." he continued

"I'm with Cyborg on this one." Replied Robin, "Something wasn't right yesterday between Raven and BeastBoy, maybe we should check up on them."

"Nothing ever seems 'right' between those two." Replied AquaLad, "They are always arguing and such."

"Yeah, but it was different somehow. I not sure exactly, but something just wasn't right." Robin replied, "Usually they argue for awhile before going onto any of their long time silences, but this time around they hardly talked to one another."

"Meh…" muttered Speedy, "Still say we should let 'em sleep." He replied,

"If our friends are troubled we should come to their aid." Replied Starfire, "I do the voting on Robin and Cyborg's side to do the checking." She replied

"¡No¡Déjeles dormir!" cried out the twins

"Still, haven't a clue what they said, but I think it involves agreeing with us." Speedy replied

"Guess we've come to draw." Aqualad replied

"No, not yet. Hey Terra, stop staring at the TV and tell us what you think?" Cyborg called, "Terra, you hear?" he asked when she didn't immediately answer

Terra had heard alright, so the problem wasn't whether she _could_ answer it was whether or not she _wanted _to answer the question. She too was curious about the odd behaviors coming from Raven and BeastBoy, however she was scared that the answer might involve her and her sudden reappearance somehow and was too worried to try and find out.

"They're probably just tired. It was not too long ago we fought a whole army of those bug things." Terra replied, "Maybe it's just now they're feeling it." She told them

The Titans seemed to take that in and think about it. Though Raven and BeastBoy's behavior toward one another was still strange, Terra's explanation still seemed to make sense.

"Still…maybe when they wake up we can ask them what's going on." Robin suggested

"I suppose so." Replied Starfire, "However we must not dawdle, the moment they awaken." She told them

"You guys talking about us?" asked a voice at the door

Turning to the opened doors the last of the Titans made their grand entrance into the common room. BumbleBee lead the group, followed by Raven, who was in turn followed by a very hungry looking BeastBoy.

"'Sup dudes." Replied BeastBoy, his commented earning him strange stares from the collected Titans, "What, is my shirt on backwards or something."

"Actually, yes." Replied Raven, immediately heading toward the kitchen area to get herself some tea

BeastBoy quickly tried to realign his shirt, but ended up getting stuck within it for a few moments. While he wrestled with his shirt for dominance, curious BumbleBee wondered what the other Titans had been mumbling about when they first got in.

"What you guys talking about?" she asked, skillfully masking her suspicion behind that of curiosity

"We were just wondering why you three had decided to do the sleeping-in?" Starfire asked, "Are you troubled friends?"

If anything, Starfire could be rather blunt at times and didn't have the tactful nature like Robin to be able to analyze a situation without giving away your intentions.

"Uh…no, just tired." Replied BumbleBee, somewhat confused

Starfire was rather easy to figure out but as she looked around BumbleBee noticed more odd looks from the Titans, they were hiding something from her and she wanted to find out what.

"Oh…really?" Starfire asked, genuinely concerned, "Are you sure?" she asked

"Yeah." Replied BumbleBee, "Why do you ask?"

"It is just that it is the middle of the day and wasting away a day can bring misfortune to all." Replied Starfire

"Well don't worry…" replied BumbleBee, eyeing all the other Titans, "We're fine." She replied, heading over to the kitchen area to grab a bite to eat

"It's fixed!" BeastBoy cheered triumphant, finally getting his shirt under control, causing many of the Titan's eyes to be fixed on him

If anything they were going to get answers from him.

"Now what is everyone staring at, do I got something in my teeth?" he asked

"Probably." Replied Raven, "You're not exactly on friendly terms with your toothbrush or mouthwash."

"Hey!" BeastBoy yelled, beginning to feud with Raven, "I do brush my teeth! Why do you think it took so long for me to get out the bathroom?"

"I thought you were admiring yourself in the mirror. Mumbling things about you muscles, or lack thereof."

"Hey!"

Well, it would have seemed that Raven and BeastBoy were back on friendly terms with each other, or as friendly as they got with one another. Things _seemed_ back to normal, but looks were deceiving.

"So B, how was your night?" Cyborg asked

"It was cool dude, you?"

"Fine. Missed breakfast." Cyborg replied, "I didn't cook this morning so there wasn't as much meat as I wanted, Terra even made some tofu for ya." He replied

"Really, thanks Terra!" BeastBoy replied triumphantly, flying over the couch to smother the geomancer in a huge

"No, problem BeastBoy." She replied, blushing slightly, "It's in the fridge if you want it." She told him

"Thanks!" he replied proudly, leaping a good distance from the couch to the kitchen area

The changeling landed on two feet, grinning madly as he reached for the fridge door, flinging it open and reaching inside to find his tofu delight.

"Okay…" muttered Cyborg, at a lost for words

The Titans looked on as Raven, BeastBoy, and BumbleBee fumbled around the kitchen area in search of sustenance. There were no obvious problems with the group and from the looks of it they had simply slept in late. Weird, but no cause for alarm from what they witnessed. So the Titans decided to go about their business, disregarding the strange occurrence as nothing big, when suddenly…

_WHEEE, WHOO, WHEE WHOO!_

The alarms blared and almost immediately the large overview display displayed a disturbance in the city. On the screen an evil figure laughed a shrilled, annoying, taunting laugh as her forces started to destroy the city.

"The Witch!" Robin yelled, "Titan's Go!"

And go they did.

* * *

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" the Witch cackled, taking in delight that the people of he city fled in pure terror, "Run, run you insignificant worms. You're simply in the way of my conquest of this city!" She chortled, as she rode atop one rather large insectoid 

She would have continued to laugh to all her hearts content if it hadn't been for the Electro-disks that came whistling toward her. Acting within moments she raised her hand up high to stop the weapons in mid-air and throw them back at her attacker, who skillfully dodged the explosive devices, letting them detonate behind him.

"Ah, the Titans have finally arrived. I have been waiting for you nuisances. I must admit that you came rather quickly. So ready to protect these weak humans are you?" she asked

"Yeah, from the likes of you." Robin retorted, "Give up, you can't possibly win." Robin replied

"And why do you say that, boy?" the Witch asked

"Simple, we have you surrounded."

Taking a quick glance around the Witch soon realized that the masked man was right; she was indeed surrounded. Speedy emerged from behind a downed truck, arrows at the ready while Aqualad floated in on a stream of water from behind an alleyway. One moment there was simply a turned over car, the next there was Mas and Menos standing atop that turned car. Raven, Starfire, Terra and BumbleBee floated above while the hum of Cyborg's sonic cannon could be heard from behind Robin. Finally, a small fly crawled from Robin's shoulder, jumping down to the ground to morph into BeastBoy.

"My, my, you Titans are quite good, quite good indeed. It will almost be a shame to utterly destroy you all…almost." She said, grinning, "I've prepared for our rematch." She said, directing her attention to the Insectoids around her, "Destroy them."

The ten Insectoids that were causing mass destruction of the city turned their attention to the Titans and lunged, ready to serve their mistress of evil and destroy her enemies. The Titans stood ready, with fierce determination and unwavering courage.

* * *

Agh! Not the ending I was looking for, but it'll do to lead up to the next chapter. The next chapter is one of those action packed chapters I'm known for so I hope you'll enjoy it. 


	22. To Battle They Go

Okay my readers, this story it beginning to come to an end. The final battles are approaching and everything hinted at will come to light in the last few chapters. I hope you have enjoyed reading and will continue to enjoy as this story winds down. Thank you.

* * *

"Well, I have to say, she did come prepared." Speedy commented, unleashing another volley of arrows which were easily deflected by the Insectoid charging at him 

Speedy though was not the only Titan having trouble dealing with the Insectoids that were attacking. Although there were only ten of them, they were _far_ stronger than the ones the Titans had dealt with before. The one fighting Speedy for example had large armored plates along its arms and legs, making it near impossible for any of Speedy's arrows to break through to the Insectoid. Thus, he dubbed his annoying enemy, "The Annoying Enemy with a shield Insectoid", or "Shield Insectoid" for short.

"It looks like she made one for each of us." Replied Aqualad, his water blasts doing little damage to the Insectoid which could swallow all the water he threw and throw it back at him, thus giving it the name of "Hydrant Insectoid"

"¿Ningunos camino, es tan rápido como somos?!" gasped Mas, at the fact that the Insectoid they were battling was just as fast as them, "Este no va a ser fácil." Replied Menos, pulling away his brother before the Insectoid could bowl them down

With spikes along its back and the ability to curl up into a ball and roll at high speeds, this "Wheel Insectoid" proved to be an even match for the magnetic brothers.

Loud stomps could be heard as a heavy-duty Insectoid made its way toward Cyborg. While not much taller than the cybernetic Titan, this biped-Insectoid sported what seemed to look like armor; armor which weighed it down considerable and gave it an overpowering visage.

"This is too easy." Quipped Cyborg, firing a blast from his sonic cannon

However, upon impact the attack was simply absorbed into the Insectoid. Other than vibrating slightly for a few moments, the Insectoid appeared unharmed by Cyborg's attack.

"Okay, so this isn't so easy." He commented, watching as the slow moving "Armored Insectoid" approached him

A Starbolt screamed down the street toward its intended target, but on contact it ricocheted off the Insectoid she fired at and crashed into nearby car, blowing it to pieces.

"Oh my." Squeaked Starfire, a little shocked at her attack's ineffectiveness, "This battle will be quite more arduous than I first thought." She commented, "Maybe if I take flight." She wondered, flying high into the air

However, her advantage was soon made obsolete as the "Mirror Insectoid's" shell opened up to reveal wings of its own. With the rapid flapping of a bee, it took off toward its amber-skinned enemy. And speaking of bees, the one known as BumbleBee was having troubles of her own, as a flying Insectoid, which seemed to have the ability to absorb electricity was on her tail as she weaved in and out of buildings in the city.

"Could this day get any worst?" she wondered, flying into an open window in hopes of tricking the oversized bug

A clever plan it may have been, but the "Electro Insectoid" was no fool and it easily swung around the side, instead of smashing itself into the wall. BumbleBee flew up high and waited for the Insectoid to make its move. Appearing from the side of the building the Insectoid flew up to greet her, but BumbleBee was ready. She flew down quickly, building up speed and when she was in range, unleashed a powerful kick.

_Krack!_

The attack crashed into the Insectoid, but the bug did not spiral away as BumbleBee expected. Instead it took the attack head on and grabbed hold of her leg and began to swing her around and around.

"Whoa!" she cried out as her world became a blur

Finally, the Insectoid released her and threw her through the air.

"This isn't good." Robin replied as he watched BumbleBee sail through the air, "She's trying to separate us, and its working." He thought

Robin had a good feeling that the Witch had specifically created these Insectoids to counteract the Titans and their abilities and also to separate them, knowing that the Titans did best when they worked as one. But there would be no way to keep the Titans together with these dangerous opponents so the only choice Robin had at the moment was stay together with at least one of the Titans and hope he could fend off his own Insectoid until the Titans could later regroup.

"Terra! Raven!" he called out to the nearest Titans, dodging the slashing attacks from the "Scythe Insectoid" that had decided to become his personal leech

Terra, acknowledging her leader, jumped away from the Insectoid that attacked her, hurled boulders at it as she made her retreat. Her attack however was rendered ineffective as the "Earth Insectoid" had the uncanny ability to turn stone to dust by simply making contact with it. Raven turned to Robin and quickly flew over to him, already realizing that her powers were useless against the "Negation Insectoid" which could nullify them by creating a barrier of the exact opposite energy as Raven. The Witch _had_ come prepared for this battle.

"Yeah?" they both asked as one, back-to-back with Robin as the three Insectoids, circled them

"We have to stay together, at least until the others can turn these fights around." He replied

"Gotcha." Replied Terra

"Okay." Replied Raven

Extending his Bo-staff, Robin readied himself for battle, while Terra levitated two large stones in the air, using them as more of a defensive measure than offensive. Raven simply held her position, her powers growing from beneath her cloak, though held back from the Insectoids in front of her. The three Insectoids glared them down, before rushing toward them to destroy them.

Meanwhile, BeastBoy stood face-to-face with the leader of these Insectoids, the Witch, as she stood atop a turned over bus, a wicked grin across her face.

"So…I don't get one of things of my very own?" BeastBoy asked, "I mean, seriously, I'm left out. What am I, chopped tofu!" he whined, "BeastBoy is the only one who doesn't get one? I'm not good enough or something?" he asked

The Witch chuckled at the boy, amused by his confusion.

"No, that is not the reason." She replied, "I simply want you for myself." She replied, her grin becoming more evil as she spoke

"Oh…well…oh…" he muttered, still confused, "What could she possibly want with me?" he wondered, scratching his head

"Let me ask you something green one, before we do battle." the Witch said

"What?" asked BeastBoy, his confusion yet to have left him

"Why do you fight to protect those lesser than you?" she asked, "Why risk your lives?" she asked, "If these humans want to stay safe, they should on their own." She told him, "There is not point in such actions."

"It's because it's the right thing to do!" he yelled at her, his answer clear and unwavering

"Hmm…a typical response." She said, "But do you truly think it will matter. You cannot save everyone from everything. No matter how powerful 'good' becomes, 'evil' shall always be just as strong and one day, good will not have the power to challenge that of evil and it will fall and evil shall reign." She said, "However, one day, evil shall fall and good will reign for a time." She said, "Do you not see, it is a never ending cycle of between the two opposing forces."

"What are you getting at?" BeastBoy asked, not following the chattering of the Witch

"Would your world not be better if neither of those forces were in control? Simply, nothing is good or evil, only a world where the strong survive and the weak are weeded out?" she replied, "There would be no need to protect anyone and anyone that opposes you could be dealt with without consequence. A _perfect _world?" she asked

BeastBoy raised an eyebrow at the Witch as he took in what she said. After some deliberating within himself that eyebrow lowered and he responded.

"It would be cool if I didn't have to always run out and stop some freak that wants to destroy the city or steal something, or even just cause trouble." He replied, "I wouldn't mind just doing what I want and not have to worry about anything." He said, "The thing is, the world wouldn't be much fun like that." He replied, grinning, "Besides, protecting people can make ya strong too. I protect my friends and they protect me. We're strong when we fight together and I just couldn't be in a world that didn't have friends." He replied

"Hmm…I see." Replied the Witch, "I was hoping to take you in without doing battle, but your beliefs are too strong for that. So I will simply defeat you and take you as my own." She said

"Bring it on Witchy!" he shouted, morphing into a leopard

"You're defeat is inevitable!" She yelled before lunging toward BeastBoy

* * *

"Hmm…" muttered Malchior, awakening from his slumber, "What is that aura I feel?" he wondered, "It is one of darkness and destruction." He pondered, "It would seem that this evil has the potential to destroy the very planet itself should it continue to gain power and it would not be in my best interest to stay here should that evil be unleashed, however I am still bond by these bindings. Grrr." He growled 

Though Malchior couldn't tell what was going on at the moment, he knew that the battle the Titans were in at the moment would be more than what they usually dealt with. The destruction would be worldly should they fail and the evil they would face would test them to their limits.

"I may curse those Titans with every fiber of my being, but with me in restraints, they are the only ones who have the chance of defeating such an evil. For what is the destruction of one's enemies when everything is destroyed by a malevolent force?" he asked himself, proving that he had spent far too long locked up since he was _still_ talking to himself

* * *

"Ha!" yelled Starfire, smashing into the Mirror Insectoid with devastating force 

The Insectoid spiraled away, but quickly caught itself in the air, spinning around to steady itself. Its wings beat rapidly, creating an irritating buzzing on in the air that unsettled the alien princess.

"Such a strange and disturbing creature, nothing like my dear Silky." She murmured, wondering just what her little mutated moth monster was doing at the moment

However, her moment of absentmindedness nearly cost her, her head as the Insectoid tried to take it clean off her shoulders. Luckily she duck in the knick of time and avoided a bad haircut. The large Insectoid flew a semi-circle around her before rushing in again, claws at the ready. Starfire floated to the side to avoid the attack, letting the large creature fly clean past her.

"Hmm…" she muttered, trying to think of a way to deal with this flying atrocity

Out of pure curiosity she mildly fired a starbolt at the creature. As she expected the Starbolt bounced harmlessly off the Insectoid. However, she did notice that the Insectoid moved its body so that the attack bounced off its mirror-like shell. That tid-bit of gathered info peaked her interest.

"I believe there is a way to get around this creature's invulnerability to my powers." She thought, flying down to street level

With a screech the Insectoid quickly gave chase. Starfire flew as low to the street as she possibly could and as she expected the Insectoid mimicked her actions. However, being that Starfire was far more slender than the creature chasing her, she was able to weave through the streets with relative easy while the Insectoid had a much harder time, its claws repeatedly scraping against the pavement, forcing it to curl them up each time.

A small smile appeared on the tameranian's face as she quickly rounded a corner. The Insectoid tried to copy, but it clearly didn't have the flexibility that Starfire had, causing it to crash into the broadside of a parked car mid-turn. It was then that Starfire fired a Starbolt at the disoriented creature. The bolt crashed into the Insectoid's much less protected inner body and singed it somewhat, causing it to cry  
out in pain.

_SKREEEEE!_

The attack however didn't stop the Insectoid as it quickly collected itself, but it was obvious that its weakness was in the maneuverability department.

Meanwhile, a girl by the name of BumbleBee was having her own duel with a flying opponent. With her Stingers reduced to hand ornaments at present time, BumbleBee had to resort to a bout of fisticuffs; though she was the one punching and kicking while dodging deadly claws.

"Hyah!" she cried, sending a powerful roundhouse kick toward the Insectoid

The Insectoid couldn't block the blow and caught the bone-shattering kick in the side. It stumbled way, trying to right itself with rapid wing flaps but BumbleBee wasn't going to give it the chance and quickly followed up with a punch to the mid-section. The Insectoid was able to back away just enough to avoid the blow, but not enough to get out of BumbleBee's range as the aggressive honey-gatherer unleashed a rapid succession of punches on it. The Electro Insectoid blocked many of the punches but it soon grew irritated with the beating it was receiving and with a wild roar it charged BumbleBee without any regard to its own safety.

"Whoa!" BumbleBee cried out in shock

So surprised by the sudden lunge BumbleBee could only throw her hands out to try and stop the creature before it could take a chunk out of her. She was able to catch its arms and hold it at bay, though flying had become much more difficult as a result. Also, it became apparent that the Insectoid was stronger than her as it began to overpower the stinging heroine.

"It may be stronger." She thought, a wicked smile popping up on her face

Her wings almost immediately stopped buzzing and gravity took hold moments later. With BumbleBee's added weight the Insectoid couldn't stay in the air, it's erratic wing flapping causing it to spin in the air uncontrollably. BumbleBee threw her knee up which redistributed her weight and caused her to be on top, just as the ground was coming up.

_BLAM!_

* * *

"Okay, tall, dark, and UGLY! Let's get it on!" yelled Cyborg, battle ready 

The Armored Insectoid growled menacingly before grabbing a nearby car and hurling it at the cybernetic warrior. Cyborg stood his ground and awaited the aerial automotive, catching it when in reach and flinging it back at his monstrous opponent. The Insectoid raised a mighty mandible and slashed the oncoming vehicle into two, letting it exploded into a mighty ball of flames behind him before making its way toward him.

"Mrrr…" murmured Cyborg, unleashing his sonic cannon

The Insectoid didn't seem deterred by the weapon and continued its charge toward Cyborg. Cyborg fired, but instead of the blast of sonic energy hitting the Insectoid it crashed into the street below it, tearing up and pavement and blinding the creature in a wave of smoke. The weakened street couldn't handle the Armor Insectoid's weight and gave way under the mighty creature.

"_Skrreeeeyaaaaaah!_" cried the terrible creature as it fell below the street

"Now to finish the job." Cyborg said, his body opening up to reveal rocket pods

Rockets spiraled from Cyborg's body and propelled themselves into the hole the Insectoid made. Moments later a series of explosions and screeches could be heard as the rockets pelted the evil menace.

"Is that it?" Cyborg wondered as smoke rose from the pit he had created in the street

He heard no noises but he wasn't entirely sure if the battle was over and as a precaution he took a few steps back from the crumbling street. Luckily he moved when he did for the Insectoid popped out from under the street, just where Cyborg had currently been, wildly slashing in hopes and cleaving its opponent.

Though a ways from being defeated, the Insectoid did look weakened, some of its armor chipping away under the punishment it had received earlier.

"So you want more ya overgrown cockroach?!" Cyborg yelled, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists

"_Skrreeeeeeeee!_" cried the Insectoid in response

Down the street, two blurs race across the pavement, occasionally smashing into one another, creating sparks from their speedy collisions. The red and white blur came to an abrupt stop, revealing it to be the brothers Mas and Menos while the dark green blur made a U-Turn and unraveled itself, revealing itself as the Wheel Insectoid. The strange creature screeched quickly at the two, almost goading them to take off again so it could match their speed as it had been doing so for quite some time.

"Es tan rápido." Mas mentioned, surprised by this creature's speed

"No podemos superarlo." Menos replied, knowing it matched their speed nearly perfectly

"Pero los" Mas commented

"que no es" Menos replied

"como" Mas said

"ágil como nosotros " Menos interjected

"son" Mas finished

With that they took off down the street, passing the Insectoid in a blur. Screeching with rage the Insectoid curled up into a ball and took after the two brothers, tearing up the street below it with its spiky back. The brothers ran at an incredible pace as the Insectoid followed with relentless determination. Just as a large building was coming up the brothers let go of their hands and pushed apart, stopping almost immediately in their tracks. The Insectoid shot past them and in a desperate attempt to turn around it uncurled itself. This however proved to be a consequential error in judgment as the Insectoid couldn't stop immediately after rolling, thus causing it to crash into the nearby building at a phenomenal pace.

_BOOM!_

* * *

Arrows whistled through the air toward their intended target, but were easily deflected by the target's tough shields it raised. Meanwhile, water with intense pressure behind it was easily absorbed and thrown back by a creature with an enormous gullet. Two Titans stood back-to-back, one holding a trio of arrows in his hand, aiming dead center for the Shield Insectoid while the other held a wave of water above his head with his mind, facing down the Hydrant Insectoid in all its inflated glory. Roars and screeches came from the mouths of the two creatures, but the dark haired Atlantian and red haired archer stood their grounds against their impressive foes. 

"Hey fish-boy?" Speedy called, his eyes never turning from his opponent

"You know I hate when you call me that." Aqualad replied, keeping his annoyance of Speedy in check

"Yeah, I know." Speedy chuckled

"What do you want?" Aqualad growled slightly

"How about you and me change places, whata you say?" Speedy asked

"Can't handle your enemy?" Aqualad asked

"Please. You think I can't handle this? I was just thinking you need a little breather from yours." Speedy replied

"You're actually offering help?" Aqualad asked

"Hey, it's better than letting you take all the glory." Speedy replied

"Okay, fine. Let's do it." Aqualad replied

"On the count of three." Speedy told him

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three!" they both cried out at once, spinning on a heel and unleashing their attacks

Impact Arrows crashed into the Hydrant Insectoid, pummeling its belly and causing the water inside to slosh about wildly. Soon it began choking on the water and ended up falling over, sputtering liquids everywhere. The Shield Insectoid put up its shield but instead of crashing into the shields, the water went under the Insectoid, catching its feet and knocking it off its balance.

"Now!" cried Aqualad, lunging toward the downed Insectoid

Pulling back his fist for a mighty punch Aqualad raced for his opponent while Speedy unleashed a special arrow just for his own attacking monster. The arrow sparked with electrical energy as he pulled it back on his bow, firing it once he got his target in his line of sight.

"Raaaah!" roared Aqualad, slamming his fist into the fallen Insectoid, smashing through one of its shields in the process

_BRRRRRRRIIIZZZZZZZ!_

Sparks flew as the water conducted the electricity of Speedy's arrow, frying the overgrown tadpole of a monster where it laid.

As the duo did battle with their respective Insectoids, another group of Titans were pulling out all the stops in their three-way battle with a ferocious display of power and skill. A powerful swing from Robin's Bo-Staff came toward the Scythe Insectoid, only to be blocked with equal power and dexterity from the overgrown bug. Robin gritted his teeth in annoyance as the creature match his attacks move-for-move. Moving his hand to his belt he retrieved three Electro-disks and flung them at the skilled creature. The creature dodged the first two, but the third caught it in the leg, knocked down to the ground and giving Robin just enough time to come with a devastating drop kick. Unable to avoid the blow the Insectoid braced for impact as Robin's heel came driving down into its skull. The ground beneath the creature cracked and pitted, but it refused to fall, pushing Robin off if it after the initial blow. Shaking off the attack it tried to rush Robin, raising its scythe-like arms up into attack position. But Robin was ready and blocked the blow with his Bo-Staff. Both sides tried to overpower the other but it soon became apparent that neither was gaining any ground and they back away, weapons poised for another strike.

"This is getting me nowhere." Grunted Robin, chancing a glance over to Raven and Terra to see how they were faring

From what Robin could tell the girls were not much better off than he was. With Terra resorting to causing earthquakes since direct attacks with the earth were futile and Raven simply avoiding blows and occasionally throwing cars at her quick opponent, the Titans were very much equal in strength to the dark creatures.

"We need an edge…" he thought, glancing too and fro for something he could use

That's when he noticed a fire hydrant to his right. The gears in his head began to turn and it didn't take him long to come up with a plan to turn the tide of this battle. Once again he threw Electro-disks at the Insectoid and then immediately took off running the moment they left his hands. The explosions of the disks only proved to further anger the beast and it took off after Robin, scythes swinging wildly in the air. Robin's run didn't last very long for he quickly came to a stop. He turned and faced his opponent, with a fearless look of determined about him. The mighty Insectoid raised its appendage in the air, the light of the sun bouncing off it to reveal its deadly cutting edge. Robin waited as the blade came cutting through the air, ready to rend him neatly in two. At the last second he rolled away as the blade came slashing down on the fire hydrant Robin was standing in front of.

_SPLASH!_

There was a sudden release of high pressure water and the Insectoid took it completely in the face. The blast of water propelled the creature a few feet into the air before it fell to the ground with a thud.

_THUD!_

As the water rose to the sky a large ball of dirty passed through it, absorbing the free flowing water, becoming thick and messy mud. The mud then turned around toward the Earth Insectoid, who in turn looked unimpressed by the muddy attack coming its way. It simply waited, not realizing this to be a mistake. Mud couldn't be turned to dust because of the water inside it.

The mud smashed into the Earth Insectoid, sending it skyward.

"Skreee!" it cried, shaken up by the attack

Before it could get its bearings the ball of mud moved in for another attack, turning into a hand and grabbing the flailing creature. It with firmly in 'hand' the mud smashed into the ground, sending mud and debris everywhere.

"Thanks Robin." Replied Terra, gathering more mud for another attack

Robin acknowledged her with a nod before returning his attention to the Scythe Insectoid. Having just recovered from its watery flight it was now livid, glaring at Robin with pure intent to kill.

_SKRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!_

A monstrous screech came from its throat, its claws scraping tauntingly against the ground, causing sparks to light up as it did so. Robin simply smiled. I had done what he had set out to do, make it mad. With a grin on his face he raised his left hand and made a "bring-it" gesture to the wild Insectoid. Without a second thought the creature raced off toward the Titan leader; full of rage and hatred for the mask wearing man.

* * *

"Grr…" growled the changeling known as BeastBoy, pulling himself out of the side door of a car he had been driven in 

Unlike his friends who seem to be gaining some ground against the psychotic bugs, it would appear BeastBoy was no match for the psychic Witch. Her attacks were quick and devastating and no matter how he tried, he could never get close enough to lay a decisive hit on the strange woman.

"Are you done yet?" she asked, yawning at his futile attempts to attack her

"Don't count me out yet." He replied with a reassuring grin, though this was only front

Truthfully he was beginning to wonder if he could really handle this crazy witch. She was reading his moves like a book. No matter what he tried or what direction he came at she was always ready to counter his moves. It almost made him wonder if she could read his mind. But if she could then the 'not-so-nice' thoughts he was thinking about her should have incited a lot more anger from the Witch, who was actually rather calm, though her wicked grin had yet to leave her face.

"Okay, think BeastBoy. How can I beat this crazy chick?" he thought

She could track him too well for a frontal attack and because of the open space they were in he couldn't come out of nowhere and suprise her. The only way he'd be able to land a blow on her was if she could hinder her abilities somehow. The question was how he was going to do that.

"I would just give in to my powers green one. You cannot defeat me. You cannot even lay a finger on me." she gloated, "You may have you animalistic senses, but they pale in comparision to the powers I have. Smell, sight, hearing are nothing toward the sixth sense." she said

"Smell..." BeastBoy wondered, that word echoing in his head, "Heh, heh, _smell_." he chuckled, "I'll show her about smell."

"So, do you concede to defeat?"

He ran straight at her, determined. The Witch simply looked at him uninterestedly. With a wave of her hand she launched a blast of psychic energy his way. He quickly morphed into a large tortoise a stood his ground, letting the wave of energy pass by him before morphing into a canary and taking flight. The Witch unleashed more psychic bursts but the agile form of the small creature was able to avoid the whole of the attacks. When he was close enough he dropped to the ground and morphed yet again into a rather large and irate skunk. Before the Witch had time to ponder just what this creature was suppose to do, the skunk lift its tail up and unleashed its hidden smelly surprise.

"By the fates!" she screeched, holding her hands to her nose to try and block the putrid smell, "That smell, it's horrendous!" she gagged, the odor attacking her sense of smell without mercy, "I cannot see!" she screeched, rubbing her irritated eyes

"Heh, heh, I'm a genius." he chuckled in his head

While she was lightheaded and dizzy, BeastBoy morphed into a T-Rex and reared back. The Witch looked up in time only to see something large and green smash into her.

_WHAM!_

Without much thought BeastBoy morphed back to his original form and watched the Witch sail through the air.

"She's going, going…GONE!" he cheered, "And BeastBoy knocks her out of the park!"

As per tradition BeastBoy broke out into song and dance over his triumphant victory. However, unknown to the gloating changeling the Witch was far from defeated. Instead she was floating high in the air, staring down at the boy with a wicked smile across her face. Far from impressed by his attack, she was still rather surprised that she let her guard down long enough for him to lay even a finger on her.

"Fine then, no more of these games." She said, glaring down at the boy, "I end this now." She said, floating down toward him

"I'm the best, nobody can beat me!" BeastBoy cheered, dancing about with an abundance of happiness

That was until he turned around and saw the Witch right behind him, her hand held up mere inches away from his face.

"Farewell." She said before a burst of psychic energy shot from her hand

_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_

* * *

Sorry for the wait but my mother had to go into surgery and I had to take care of her so I haven't been able to get on the computer for a while. But no matter, here is the next chapter for you. I hope you enjoy._  
_


	23. Time to Break Some Necks

The newest chapter to my story; enjoy.

* * *

Soulless eyes stared out toward the city, their piercing glare focused on the urban zoo. The want, the will to free itself from its reflective prison ached within the creature's very existence as he watched the carnage, wanting more than anything else to join in and contribute to it. That was its nature, its goal, its instinct, and its desire; to destroy and destroy, with no end if it could help it. Though the very thing that gave it a purpose was also its greatness weakness, a weakness it swore to never reveal. 

"_**Soon, oh so soon. Only one thing is needed for me to be free. To break the mirror, to release the darkness, to infest the planet.**_" The dark creature within said

A serpentine type body slithered about the mirror, weaving around trees, straining them with its gargantuan weight. Multiple limbs scurried around, impaling the ground like the needle of a sewing machine. The ground beneath was flattened under the weight of the strange creature. It neither spoke nor thought, simply moved, waiting for something.

"_**First however, I must take this land for my own, demolish this 'city' and do away with is protectors. Once this land is infected my foothold with be certain and it will only be inevitable before the planet itself is doomed.**_" The creature in the mirror said

The creature could hear a distant explosion, though it paid no mind to the blast, not caring who or what was on the receiving end.

"_**My only concern is the daughter of Trigon. If she dealt with her very father then she may also have the power to deal with me. I must take her down quickly. No mercy or it will be my downfall.**_" It said

A dense, green fog began to funnel itself from beneath the mirror, slowly spreading out as if it were creeping along the ground. The fog seemed to react with the creature within the mirror, as if its emotions gave the fog strength. The anxiety that it felt to be free only fueled the fog, causing it to grow denser by the second as it spread.

"_**My darkness will soon consume all.**_"

* * *

"Let's finish this." Speedy said, directing and arrow toward the Shield and Hydrant Insectoids 

"Gladly." Replied Aqualad, gathering a torrent of water into the air

Speedy pulled back on his bow, aiming two arrows toward the Shield Insectoid. The rabid creature waited for the attack, putting up its unbroken shield in defense. With a grunt, Aqualad fired his surge of water toward the Insectoid in an attempt to drown the weakened creature. The Hydrant Insectoid saw this and stood in the path, ready to absorb the water being thrown. However, the Hydrant Insectoid didn't see the arrows fired by Speedy, flying dead center in the focal point of the spiraling water blast.

"_**Skreeeeeee!**_" screeched the Hydrant Insectoid before swallowing the tons of water being hurled at it

It grew larger and larger as it swelled its over-sized gullet, unaware of the surprise hidden deep within.

"We should take cover." Replied Speedy, running behind a car

Aqualad wasted no time asking why and followed the agile archer's advice. When it came to Speedy, things always ended in a bang.

"_Gurgle._" Gurgled the Insectoid, feeling proud of its small victory, that was until it felt something odd happening inside itself, "_Skree?_"

Before the creature had time to contemplate this strange occurrence it exploded in a dazzling display of ice. But that wasn't the end of the chaos caused by Speedy and his arrows as ice shrapnel rocketed from the explosion, impaling everything in its path, including the Shield Insectoid. It tried to defend, but its shield made no difference in the devastation that was unleashed, ripping through the shield with easy and impaling the dark monstrosity.

"_Skraaaaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeh!_" screeched the finally cry of the creature as it was enveloped in its icy grave

Looking up from his hiding place, Aqualad could only look in awe over the destruction caused. Everything in the general area looked like an icy pincushion.

"Had I been a second later…" muttered Aqualad, looking about

"Hey, we did it!" cried Speedy, hopping up from behind the car, which looked like a frozen porcupine, "Didn't expect it to be so big though." He laughed sheepishly

"What did you _**do!**_" Aqualad roared, glaring menacingly at Speedy

"Huh…not much, just combined an Frost Arrow with a Blast Arrow." He replied coolly, "Worked better than I expected."

"Do you ever think!?" Aqualad bellowed

"Hey, it worked." Speedy replied

"_That_ could have been me!" Aqualad yelled, pointing to the remains of a mailbox

"But it wasn't."

"You…you…you…" growled Aqualad, unable to come up with a feasible retort

* * *

"Ha…ha…ha…ha…" BumbleBee breathed, feeling exhausted with her rather persistent Insectoid 

The Electro Insectoid wasn't faring any better, with a broken wing and what looked like a cracked shell, this creature wasn't doing any flying anytime soon, though it still could absorb her electricity without much effort.

"You are going, down!" she barked, rushing the Insectoid

The Insectoid screeched in response and held its ground, waiting for BumbleBee's strike.

"Heraaah!" she yelled, throwing her fist forward

The Insectoid blocked but the blow was horrendously strong, causing it to flinch. This gave BumbleBee ample time to come with another crush blow to the nether regions. It buckled in pain, stumbling back to try and get away from the aggressive girl, but BumbleBee gave it no mercy with her relentless attacks.

_Wham! Bam! Pow! Ker-Pow!_

Her devastating combos pummeled the large creature, smashing it into the dirt. The creature tried to fight back, but with is inability to fight well on the ground, BumbleBee had a leg up on the dark monster.

"Hyaaah!" she yelled, sending a roundhouse kick to its side

The creature flinched again as its exoskeleton began to crack. She drove her fist upward, catching the creature in the chin; and as it reared up she followed up with a pulverizing kick to its mid-section. The beast held its ground, and tried its best to attack the killer bee unleashing attacks on it, but this proved to be futile, for BumbleBee blocked its blow and unleashed a quick series of punches all aimed for the face of the Insectoid. BumbleBee pummeled the dark creature, leaving no room for error. The creature tumbled away, in a desperate attempt to escape the powerful Titan, but BumbleBee wasn't letting this creature escape.

"Where do you think _you're_ going!" she yelled, flying over it so that she was impeding its path, "Take this!"

Her foot came fast and strong, smashing down onto the head of the creature, who collapsed after impact. The evil creature tried to pull itself up, but it was no use. The last thing the Insectoid saw was a fist barreling down on it.

_**POW!**_

* * *

"Ha!" cried Starfire, firing a starbolt at her vicious enemy 

Curling into its shell, the Mirror Insectoid deflected the blow into a random direction, evading damage once more; although its reaction time seemed dulled. The mirrored surface of the creature's shell was scuffed and scratched, leaving a rather unreflective shell. Starfire noticed that her Starbolt hadn't immediately bounced off the Insectoid after impact, but instead, jiggled about as if it would have exploded.

"It would seem that this creature is weakened." She thought, Starbolts glowing in her palms

"Skraaaaaaah!" screeched the Insectoid, buzzing its wings rapidly

The dust beneath it swelled out rapidly due to the rapid beating of its wings. Soon it was hovering a few feet into the air, extending long, scythe-like appendages. The intensity of the glow of the Starbolts increased as Starfire concentrated more and more energy into the balls of energy.

Without further hesitation the Insectoid rushed her, flying as fast as it wings were able. Starfire held her ground and awaited the flying creature, unafraid of its daring charge. The creature raised it claw, preparing to strike and at that moment, Starfire acted, firing a starbolt toward the ground in front of the Insectoid. The ensuing explosion blinded the rabid creature, forcing it to veer away towards safety, or so it thought. Another Starbolt screamed toward it and this time it was dead on target. Confused as it was the Insectoid didn't have time to avoid or deflect this blow and the Starbolt singed the soft innards of the Insectoid.

_Skreeeaaaaaaaaaah!_

The terrible beast cried out in pain, loosing its balance in the air and crashing into the street; bouncing a few times before grinding to a halt. The creature pulled itself to its feet, although with much trouble. Its body was beaten and battered and the once brightly reflective shell had no more than a dull sheen. But even in this weakened state it refused to back down, roaring and screeching at Starfire in rage as she powered up once again.

"_Raaaaaaaaah!_" roared the creature before Starfire pelted it with Starbolts

The Insectoid continued to screech defiantly toward Starfire as the alien princess pummeled it again and again with Starbolt energy. Eventually though, the screeching ended.

* * *

"C'est le temps pour y mettre fin." Mas told his brother as they rounded a corner, the Wheel Insectoid right on their heels 

"Vraiment, mais comment?" asked Menos, confused on how they'd accomplish finishing this battle

"C'est une bonne question." Replied Mas, not knowing the answer

However, an idea sparked in their little minds when they saw Cyborg doing battle with the Armor Insectoid, trying his best to deal with the much larger and much stronger creature.

"Bring it on!" roared Cyborg, unleashing a devastating series of punches to the belly of the beast

The attacks didn't seem to faze the creature much and without much effort it knocked away the robo Titan with a simple sweep of its mighty forelimb. Cyborg crashed into a streetlight and snapped it like a twig under his weight. The streetlight fell, its light smashing into the street below and shattering into a million pieces.

"Grr…" growled Cyborg, "I could try take it out with one blast but not even that thing isn't stupid enough to just stand there while I charge, I need some time."

"Senor Cyborg!" he heard a yell and instantly knew it to be coming from the voice of Mas…or maybe it was Menos, okay, okay he wasn't _entirely _sure

"Little buddies!" he called back, pulling himself up, "Good, I could use a little help." He replied

That's when he noticed the Wheel Insectoid, hot on the heels of the speed demon brothers.

"Well, looks like you guys got your own problems." He said, before turning his attention toward the down streetlight, "But I think I got a way to kill two bugs with one stick." He thought

Menos and Mas zoomed toward the Armor Insectoid, never slowing down even with the large obstruction in their path. Zipping under the large creature's legs Menos and Mas noticed Cyborg brandishing the streetlight like a baseball bat and the two instantly knew what their cybernetic amigo had planned.

"Salto en mi hermano trasero." Menos instructed, positioning his shoulders to accommodate his brother's weight

"Derecho." Replied Mas with a nod

With a hop he was on Menos' back, just as the Wheel Insectoid zipped under the legs of the Armor Insectoid. The Wheel Insectoid was nipping at the heels of the brothers, but they quickly sped up, running straight toward Cyborg.

"Now!" barked Cyborg and without hesitation, Mas leap off his brother and the two almost immediately decelerated

As Mas flew through the air the streetlight came from under him, swung by the powerhouse Titan. The Wheel Insectoid didn't have time to evade, due to its size and speed and took the swing head on. The streetlight shattered on impact, but the force of the blow was so powerful it launched the creature back, right toward the Armor Insectoid.

_Bam!_

Smashing straight into the Armor Insectoid the Wheel Insectoid toppled the massive beast. The two crashed to the ground, screeching wildly as they did.

"You're done." Muttered Cyborg, his arm cannon glowing brightly

Safeties were shut off as his arm cannon collected more and more power within itself, considerably draining his power cell. Luckily he had a spare in the T-Car. The cannon itself shook violently under the pressure of collecting so much energy, but Cyborg laid his arm on it, keeping the cannon steady.

"Oh…" murmured both brothers in awe as they watched the bright light in front of them and the hum before them

The two Insectoids grunted and groaned as they tried to pick themselves up, unaware of their impending doom.

"Now, take this!" yelled Cyborg, unleashing the power in his arm

_Faaaaaaawhoooooooooossssssssshhhhhhh!_

Looking up, the Wheel Insectoid noticed a bright light quickly coming their way. But before the creature even had time to screech in protest the blast engulf them, completely obliterating the rancid creatures from existence.

* * *

"Mud Armor!" 

A mixture of earth and water formed around the body of the geomancer, covering her in a strange, yet effective armor. Not completely dry, the armor canceled out the effects of the Earth Insectoid's powers, yet it was just hard enough to protect the blonde earthmover from harm.

"Skkreeeeaaaaaah!" screeched the Earth Insectoid, charging toward Terra

Terra didn't flinch and stood her ground as the ferocious creature barreled down on her.

"Raaaaaaaaah!" it roared, slamming into her with full force

Terra held her ground as the creature pushed against her, driving her back a few feet before she stopped moving altogether.

"Back off!" she barked, grinding her feet into the ground, using the added strength of her armor to push back against the Insectoid

The two earth users fought against one another tooth and nail, but as time dragged on and the struggle intensified it became clear who the real master of earth and rock was.

"I'm gonna bury you." She growled, her eyes glowing a low level of yellow

The ground beneath the Insectoid began to shift, but as it did so its powers kicked in, making things worst. The creature didn't realize until too late that Terra had created a giant sinkhole and was slowly dragging the dark creature to its grave.

"Raaaaaaaaa…" growled the Insectoid in a mixed mood of anger and fear, clawing at the armor of mud to try and get a hold on her

As the yellow in Terra's eye intensified, so did the speed at which the sinkhole grew. The Insectoid lost its footing, its legs kicking furiously at the ground, trying to push itself back up but failing at the task. The only thing keeping it from going under was its desperate grip on Terra. However, the mud around Terra began to slide off into the sinkhole, taking the Insectoid with it. It wildly clawed at the geomancer, screeching in protest but its efforts were in vain. Terra watched in disgust as the terrible creature slowly sank into the dirt, its cries of rage and desperation slowly drowned out as it sank.

* * *

Robin dropped his Bo-staff, the weapon falling to the ground in two pieces. It would have seemed that it sliced clean in two. Luckily its purpose had been served, the Scythe Insectoid also laid on the ground in an unmoving lump. Robin cracked his knuckles, and looked about. During his fight with the Scythe Insectoid the masked leader had not seen hide nor hair of his green ally and it worried the caped wonder. 

"Just great…" he sighed, running his hand through his hair, "Please don't let him be in trouble." Robin hoped

But Robin knew this was simply wishful thinking. When it came to BeastBoy and trouble the two went hand-in-hand. He only hoped BeastBoy could pull himself out of whatever trouble he had been dragged into.

"Got to reunite the team." He thought, his communicator in hand

However, before he could activate it a large mass of darkness plowed through a nearby building, bounce a few times before coming to rest.

"What the…" gasped Robin, looking at what he believed to be an Insectoid, though it seemed it had been put through the ringer

Floating calmly from the hole just created was the dark sorceress, her powers slowly disappearing back into her cloak.

"As if that thing could hold back my powers for long. What a joke." Raven said, sounding as if she had been insulted

"Geeze…" Robin thought, his eyes moving between the unemotional outlook of his teammate and the nearly unrecognizable remains of the Negation Insectoid, "She can be really scary sometimes." He thought

"Robin." She called, snapping the boy to attention, "You okay?" she asked

"Yeah." He replied, not bothering to ask if she was the same

"Have you seen BeastBoy?" she asked curiously

Robin eyed her. The way she asked the question seemed almost too relaxed, as if she was holding something back from her leader.

"No, I was hoping you might have." He replied

"I haven't." she replied calmly, "But I can only guess he's in deep, as usual." She replied

"Yeah…" replied Robin, trailing off intentionally, hoping Raven would unknowingly tell him what she was really feeling

"That fool is always getting himself in trouble and I wouldn't be surprised if he was carted off by that crazy witch." She replied, almost happily

Now Robin was really suspicious of his dark haired teammate. What exactly was Raven hiding from him? Was she happy that BeastBoy could possible be in mortal danger? No, that wasn't Raven. There was something else that Raven knew about.

"Well even if he is, he'll be fine." She replied, small grin on her face, "He's BeastBoy after all."

Robin vaguely wondered if Raven had lost her mind due to inward worry she refused to express, but he quickly came to the conclusion that this still wasn't Raven.

"I couldn't locate him on my communicator so either the signal is being blocked or it's been destroyed." She replied

"I see." Replied Robin slowly, as if he were unsure of the answer, "Let's gather the others." He said, his communicator turning on, locking onto all the others, "Titans!" he called

An entire chorus of different acknowledgements signified the other Titans and Robin smiled in relief that everyone was okay.

"Hey Robin, finished?" asked Cyborg, "I was sure I'd need to save you butt." He said, grinning

Robin groaned.

"Hey, seen B?" he asked

"No, and I was hoping that you or the others may have." Robin replied

A series of 'no's', 'nope's', and 'uh uh's' were heard over the communicator. Nobody had seen their green comrade since the fighting had begun.

"Great…" Cyborg moaned, "Where could that grass stain be?" he wondered

Robin turned to Raven and saw the same unemotional expression on her face and at that point realized something. The only reason Raven had asked him where BeastBoy was; was because she herself could not find him. Something must have been blocking her powers because by now she would have already found him.

"BeastBoy's in trouble everyone." Robin said, "Spread out across the city and search for him." He ordered

He heard many of the Titans sigh tiredly but none the less they nodded and began their search for their missing teammate.

"Okay Raven, let's…" Robin began, but never got to finish for Raven had already taken off, "Wait a sec…" he thought, then it came to him

The smile, the subtle way she wondered about BeastBoy's whereabouts, the nonchalant way she came at the disappearance of BeastBoy; she was worried about him. Quite worried from what Robin could piece together. Robin knew that Raven had a strange way of expressing herself, but this was mostly because of how her powers reacted to certain situations, but it was different this time around. Her powers had nothing to do with how she was feeling. In her own way she was worried out of her mind for BeastBoy's safety. Not once had Robin noticed this about Raven toward the changeling and he wondered just how such a change about how Raven felt could have happened since yesterday?

"No time to wonder now. Got to find BeastBoy." Robin thought, taking after his floating friend

* * *

"Uh…" muttered a green human, "Dude, what hit me?" this green human wondered 

For a moment the green human could only see darkness and for that moment he thought he might be blind. Then he remembered something very important.

"Better open my eyes."

His eyes fluttered open, light pouring into them as they did. At first his world was blurry until he began to focus and soon he discovered where he was.

"The forest?"

He looked about the heavy foliage, trying to figure out just where in the forest he might be but to no avail. Every tree looked like every other tree and there was no trail to speak off.

"Better get a bird's-eye-view." He thought, "Ha, ha…I'm so funny I make up jokes without even trying." He said, laughing at his wit

In the blink of an eye he was a small Sparrow, ready to take flight. But just as he took off he crashed head first into some sort of wall. He bounced off, crashing into more walls before finally coming to rest.

"If I hit my head any more Raven will have a reason to call me an idiot." He thought, morphing back to his human form

He reached out and his hand touched what appeared to be an invisible wall. He swore when he realized that this invisible wall was circular, thus revealing to him that he was trapped in a sphere.

"Not again." He moaned, sitting up in a lotus position and bowing his head in thought, "Okay, I'm trapped in some sort of circle in the middle of the forest." He thought, "The last thing I remember was fighting that witch and then a lot of pain. Maybe that witch put me in here." He wondered

As he pondered his thoughts he never noticed someone hiding behind a tree, watching him carefully.

"But if she did put me in here, where is she?" he wondered, "Maybe she had to take a bathroom break?" he pondered, "Speaking of bathroom breaks…I gotta go."

As his bladder screamed at him for release the figure watching in the shadows decided to make their appearance.

"_BeastBoy_." The figure said, with a hint of alluring teasing sprinkled on

"Hmm?" he muttered, turning to the sound of the voice

"I do hope you are not, _too_ uncomfortable?" the figure asked

"Well…" he began, but never finished

It was the Witch, but something was definitely different about her. Sure, she still looked a great deal like the Insectoids she commanded, but BeastBoy couldn't help but to utter what he thought about her at the moment.

"Whoa…you're hot." He said, drooling slightly

"I will take that as a compliment." The Witch said

"I mean really, really hot." He said excitedly

I smile graced her lips at the compliments and she couldn't help but blush.

"Dude, if you weren't all evil and trying to destroy the city and whatnot I'd so go with you." He said, a goofy grin on his face

The Witch was torn between laughing at his wit or tearing him limb from limb.

"You are not much of a gentleman." She muttered

"Heh, Raven tells me that all the time." he chuckled

The Witch sneered at the mention of the dark sorceress. Not only did Raven rob her of a body but the connection BeastBoy had for Raven kept the Witch from controlling the changeling. She'd had to break that connection if she was ever going to gain control of the green shape-shifter.

"This Raven does not seem to approve of your antics." The Witch said

"Yeah, but that's cool. Raven's a gentleman for me." He replied, until he realized what he said, "Wait…that came out wrong."

"Wouldn't you want an ally that better tolerated you, even enjoyed your behavior?" she asked

"That would be cool." He said, "But it be kinda creepy to have a girl version of me running around. Besides, there's only room for one BeastBoy." He proclaimed proudly

The Witch wondered about the boy sitting there, a smile on his face as he joked, his life at risk. Through all her years of living she had never seen a man quite like the one sitting before her. He had to have known that she had him at her mercy and yet he was joking around with her, his enemy. Didn't he realize the predicament he was in or was this just how he acted?

"You are a strange one, green one." She replied, "But all the more desirable." She thought, "For when I break you there will be nothing left for you to hang onto. And at that time you will be putty in my hands. You will beg for a reason, beg for me." She thought

BeastBoy watched as the Witch was in her own little world. He didn't bother to ask why she was daydreaming but it couldn't have come at a better time as he devised a way to escape his spherical prison.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea." He thought, coming up with a plan, "I just hope she's gullible enough." He thought

The Witch was soon interrupted from her thoughts by BeastBoy, knocking on his invisible prison in an attempt to gain her attention.

"Hmm? What is it green one?" she asked

"Sorry to interrupt but I got to be going." He said

"Humph, not likely. You cannot hope to escape that prison." She said

"Then you don't know the powers of BeastBoy." He said, before disappearing on the spot

"What!?" she yelled, nearing stumbling from the shock, "How is this possible, he should not be able to escape from that prison!" she screamed

Could the changeling have powers she did not know of? She only thought he could transform into different animals.

"Where did this new power come from?" she wondered, waving her hand to dispel the sphere

She would check the area; discover just what sort of magic that helped him escape from his prison. Just as she was doing so she noticed an insignificantly tiny gnat fly by her. At first she ignored it. But then something clicked in her mind and she turned to the wandered bug.

"Of course." She realized too late as the minute fly morphed into the clever changeling

"Clever…" she muttered, grinning slightly, "But don't think you will be getting away." She told him

"Dude, what's that!" he yelled, pointing behind the Witch, "It's horrible!" he screeched in fear

So surprised by his sudden outburst the Witch turned to deal with whatever inconvenience had come up, but saw nothing. When she turned back around to face her green opponent he was gone.

"What…_I was fooled._" She growled, seething with hate

Meanwhile, the deceptive shape-shifter was currently in the form of a cheetah, moving as fast has his paws could carry him. He didn't have his communicator on him, most likely destroyed by the Witch, but if he could get far enough away from her the others would be able to find him in no time.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" he heard her screech, which made him visible cringe

"If she finds me…" he thought, not daring to finish that sentence out of fear of what his mind would come up with

Refusing to look back BeastBoy picked up the pace, hoping he'd find the others, soon.

* * *

Out of the frying pan and into the oven for the pour shape-shifter eh? Sorry for the wait, college has been starting back up so I have to get ready for it and haven't had the time to update regularly. The next chapter should be coming out soon so wait for it. 


	24. Intro to Big Daddy

The next chapter that introduces the big baddy that the story's been leading up to. I think you'll like him.

* * *

BeastBoy ran as if the devil himself was on his heels, and in all respects the devil was, just happening to be in the form of a murderous witch he thought was hot. The world was cruel sometimes. 

"_BeastBoy!_" he heard the Witch yell, closer than earlier

"She's catching up!" he thought wildly, trying to come up with some sort of plan

The fast cheetah ducked into a nearby bush just as the Witch plowed her way through, looking about wildly for her escaping shape-shifter.

"You can not hide from me." She cackled, "I can smell the fear on you." She said, floating a few inches off the ground

In the form of an ant BeastBoy tried to be a small as possible as he hid under a pile of dead leaves, watching out of a small opening, the Witch looking about.

"No matter the form, no matter the _size_, you will never escape me BeastBoy. I will have you!" she growled, reaching into the bush

"Yipe!" squeaked BeastBoy, scurrying away before the Witch could take him in her clutches

Morphing into a hawk BeastBoy hoped he could escape her in the sky, but the Witch was faster, catching up with him before he could gain any true height.

"Fall!" she roared, throwing her hand forward

An invisible force smashed into BeastBoy, throwing him from the sky with little restraint. BeastBoy screeched as he fell, spiraling out of control toward the ground. He soon hit the trees and the Witch heard the snapping of the branches as he fell through them.

"_Fahahahahahahaha._" She cackled, floating down to greet her defeated foe

Although, when she reached the forest floor she could find neither hide nor hair of her funny green opponent. It was not until she looked to the tree tops did she noticed a green monkey sailing through the trees.

"Persistent little one aren't we?" she murmured before taking off after him again

* * *

"Hmm?" murmured Raven, sensing something odd 

"What is it Raven?" Robin asked, running along side the floating sorceress, "Is it BeastBoy?" he asked

"No." She replied, "But I sense something else, something very pressing."

"What? Where?"

"Not sure. But it's coming from the forest; that much I can tell." She said, "I can only sense a glimpse of whatever might be out there, but even that is…overwhelming."

Robin didn't need any more explanation after that. Anytime Raven had a hard time gauging something, that meant whatever it was, was incredibly dangerous.

"Titans." Robin called after flipping over his communicator, "Follow my signal and meet up with us in the forest." Relayed Robin

"Ya'll find BB?" Cyborg asked

"No, but we have hunch where he's at." Robin replied

"Gotcha."

"Hop on." Raven directed, creating a floating disk in the air

Robin wasted no time to hop onto the dark lift as it followed behind Raven; the woman in question increasing in speed toward the forest. It didn't take long for the duo to arrive at the forest, the trees below them whizzing by, creating a blur of green like a carpet beneath them.

"Knowing BeastBoy he'll probably be right where the most danger is and make his presence known with some over-the-top, unnecessary antic." Raven mentioned, "We should look out for explosions."

_BOOM!_

"Like that?" Robin asked

Raven turned on a dime toward the source of the blast.

"Okay…making the crazy witch with freaky powers mad is a bad thing. Got that." Muttered BeastBoy, rubbing his sore noggin

"I am going to have to tame these wild habits of yours." She told him, closing in, "But in the end you'll submit."

BeastBoy tried to scurry away but with a flick of her wrist she fired a psychic blast near him, stopping him cold.

"Oh no no no no." she said, wagging her finger in disapproval, "You are not going anywhere."

As she approached BeastBoy could feel impending doom closing in on him and for a moment his life flashed before his eyes.

"I shouldn't have had that tofu for breakfast." He thought

Okay, maybe it was simply his life after he work up this morning, but it was still his life and it was still flashing before him. But, luckily for the changeling, two glowing trees smashed in between him and the Witch, impeding her progress for the moment.

"You…" snarled the Witch, "Must you always be an inconvenience?" she snorted

Looking up BeastBoy's face instantly lightened when he saw his savoir, decked in her traditional garb and tradition demeanor. Her cloak blew in the slight breeze but her body remained still, yet relaxed at the same time. Without turning her head the violet-haired Titan had a word with her down comrade.

"I can't leave you alone for a minute, can I?" she asked, "Are you destined to get yourself in trouble or do you do this just for kicks?" she asked

"Heh, sometimes." He replied, "But I always got you to bail me out, right?"

"Of course, without me you'd been dead a long time ago."

"That's not true…sorta."

"Enough of this banter." Growled the Witch, clenching her fist in anger "You have interrupted my hunt and now you'll pay dearly for your intrusion."

"We'll see about that." Quipped Robin, his feet slightly apart as the faced the Witch

"Robin. Take BeastBoy and head east." Raven said, her back still to the two boys

BeastBoy raised an eyebrow at this strange proclamation and Robin dutifully responded.

"What's up?"

"Not sure, but something of great evil is coming forth and I think it would be best to stop it before whatever it is has a chance to come out." She said

"What about you?" BeastBoy asked, rising to his feet

"I'll stay here and deal with..._her_." Raven replied

"Oh really…" the Witch inquired, "I would like to see that for myself." She chuckled

"Don't worry, you will." Raven replied, "Now go you two."

"Dude, I can't just leave ya here with _her_." BeastBoy argued, "She's a freak!" he blurted out

"I thought you said I was "hot"?" the Witch asked

"What!?" barked Raven, making BeastBoy cringe

"Well…yeah…but she's still a freak!" he continued, hoping that Raven wouldn't turn her rage on him

"Robin, it would be best that you took BeastBoy and find this disturbance before I decide to vent my powers on _somebody_ other than her." Raven advised

"Let's go." Robin said, taking off in Raven's predetermined direction

BeastBoy wasted no time following after Robin, taking the form of a robin and chasing after the very boy named after the animal.

"Have I struck a sensitive area?" the Witch cackled lightly, "Does the daughter of Trigon have feelings for the boy?"

"My name is Raven and I could care less about what that perverted idiot thinks." She replied, "But numbskulls aside, you and I have business to settle." She glowered

"You are very right." The Witch answered back, "We do have _business_."

The powers that lied within Raven came to light, billowing beneath the hem of her cloak. Her eyes were closed, but the cloaked Titan was fully aware of her surroundings and of her enemy, whose presence was undeniable and the evil intent coming from her almost palpable. Raven didn't know what sort of demon this witch was, but her aura gave Raven the impression that she shouldn't be trifled with.

"Terra said she was lethal and merciless." Raven thought, "Not like I was going to go easy on her in the first place. **Nobody** takes my body and gets away with it."

"I grow tired of this fruitless waiting." The Witch said, before a powerful gust of wind kicked up

Or what Raven thought to be wind. Luckily she put up a barrier moments before a blast of psychic energy could slam into her.

"You're fast." The Witch commented, smirking slightly, until she sensed something

The Witch jumped back, just as a blade of dark energy tore from the ground beneath her, nearly cleaving her in two.

"And devious." The Witch remarked, her grin expanding, "You _are_ his daughter."

"I told you my name is Raven." Snapped Raven, her blade slithering back into the earth

"_Fuwhaha_." She cackled, "Sorry, I was mistaken. It is only polite that names are exchanged before a true battle begins, so for you, my opponent, I will tell you my true name." she said, "You may call me, Ifrit." She said

"A Djinn of olden?" Raven asked, "Strange that one still exists." She said, "I thought that many left the realm of man a long time ago." She replied

"Hmm…I see you know a little of our history." Ifrit replied, "Yes, after humans gained the ability to control us many left, not wanting to be insulted by coming to the beck and call of such inferior creatures, but those who did not leave were used to grant wishes." She said, "I was one of those wish granters. Though one could say that every wish had its price." She cackled

"I'm not particularly interested in your past, because if I have any say in the matter, you won't have a future."

"You have a sharp tongue…Raven." The Witch replied, "But I have sharper claws."

"We'll see Ifrit."

* * *

"Robin, I'm having one of those, "Super-Evil Villain" itches." BeastBoy replied, "And I think I caught a 'Super Scary Monster' cold." 

"I'm prone to agree with you there." Replied Robin

Though he didn't have the senses that many of his other teammates possessed, even Robin wasn't ignorant to the bad feeling he was getting. An unruly tingling going down his spine as he and BeastBoy ran. Another thing the masked vigilante noticed that as they continued to go in Raven's ordered direction, it seemed to get foggier and foggier, although Robin had never seen **green** fog before.

"Also dude, my "We're going to get the living crap beaten out of us" rash is acting up."

"Well get over it, whatever is out there we need to make sure it isn't a threat to the city." Robin told him

"What about us!? I don't want to run into something like that Witch back there. I was getting my butt handed to me! She was really kicking my a—" He began, until he stepped in something

_Squish!_

The sickening sound was only complimented by the fact that whatever BeastBoy had the misfortune of stepping in was wet, very wet.

"Robin." He asked calmly, "What did I just step in?" BeastBoy asked

Robin, for the most part, wasn't very interested in what BeastBoy put his foot into on the account that he didn't want to _see_ it. But BeastBoy refused to move until his foot was examined so with a heavy sigh Robin bent down to see, and what he saw astonished him.

"What…what!?" BeastBoy asked hurriedly, "Is it…_**moving**_?"

"No, no." replied Robin, hearing the sigh of relief from the changeling, "But it is familiar." He mentioned, "It's glowing in a strange color."

"I stepped in something _glowing!_" BeastBoy shouted, a horrible sensation running up and down his back

"Don't worry, my readings state it isn't dangerous." Robin replied, once again hearing a sigh of relief, "But it reminds me of those creatures we fought earlier."

"Robin, please don't tell me I stepped in monster poo?"

"I do believe so."

"I told you not to tell me!"

As BeastBoy went to the daunting task of extracting the excrement from the bottom of his foot, Robin jumped high into a tree to examine their surroundings.

"This fog, it's spreading, from a central point, but where?" he wondered, looking about

If they could find that focal point then they could find out the source of the fog and maybe the source of their dangerous adversaries.

"Hmm…there…" he murmured, his eyes focused on a heavily fogged area, "That's got to be where it's coming from." He deduced, looking down to his grumbling teammate, "BeastBoy, let's move."

"Do we hafta?" he whined, "I mean, dude, look at what I stepped in."

Robin rolled his eyes, ignoring the shapeshifter's bellyaching.

"Come on." Robin ordered, beginning a tree-hopping expedition to the source of the thickening fog

Thus, with a reluctant moan, BeastBoy followed after his 'no nonsense' leader, taking to the trees in the form of a green monkey to avoid any more unwanted surprises that just may happened to have been on the ground.

* * *

"Azerath Metrion Zinthoss!" cried Raven, slamming a tree into Ifrit 

The evil Djinn, hopped to the side to avoid the blow, lifting a small boulder from its resting spot and using her powers to fling it at the advancing Raven. Raising a glowing hand, Raven sliced the boulder in two when she brought it down, her powers easier cutting through the harden earth.

As the two pieces of boulder smashed to the ground below, Raven waved her hand in front of her, creating a wave of dark energy to be released; that upon contact with the Djinn, catapulted her a few yards away. Soon enough another unlucky tree was ripped from the earth and thrown at the flailing Djinn.

Ifrit snapped to attention, taking hold of the roots of the soaring tree and using them as a footstool to push herself up the length of the wooden support. Reaching the leaves of the tree Ifrit jumped with claws at the ready toward Raven. The sorceress brought her powers to her palms and used them to deflect the blow, causing the Djinn to stumble to the side, Raven countering almost immediately after she turned to face her.

A wave of dirt crashed into Ifrit before she had the chance to recover, covering her form completely in topsoil. Raven didn't let this small run of luck distract her from battle, knowing full well the fight was a long way from over.

A clawed hand tore its way from the dirt, trying to grab hold of Raven's ankle, but Raven took to the skies to avoid the grab attempt. Climbing from the dirt Ifrit glared at the retreating Raven. Without much concentration the Witch followed after, a sinister look in her eyes as she approached.

"Raaaaaah!" roared Ifrit, pulling back her clawed hand to attack

As a flurry of slashes came Raven's way, the dark girl dodge with finesse and speed only years of training gave. But even so she was dodging only by a hair, the claw swipes missing on the slightest of margins. Nevertheless, she was dodging and through it all she saw an opening in the Ifrit's relentless charge. Pushing her palm forward she broke through Ifrit's attack, her hand glowing with dark energies in front of her enemy.

"Begone!" she yelled, an explosion of power igniting from her hand

"Graaaaaaaah!" yelled Ifrit as she spiraled away from the blast

However, this attack was not enough to stop the demonic djinn and she quickly righted herself, giving Raven her thoughts on the girl's attacks.

"_Fuwhahahahaha!_" she cackled, madly, almost uncontrollable, "You are strong Raven!" she exclaimed, a feeling of joy washing over her, "I have fought many battles, but this battle, between the sired results of two godly demons is making me feel ecstatic!" she said gleefully, "I will enjoy this battle to the very end, an end with your death!"

"She's crazy." Raven thought, powers once again whipping about her hands

A predatory grin adorned her features, nearly falling off her face due to the size of it, her now revealed fangs elongating to serve a purpose that Raven quickly surmised would involve biting. A long black tongue slide from her mouth, not unlike that of a snake, though even a snake would not have a tongue that radiated such maniacal intent.

"If BeastBoy would prefer you over me then I will simply devour you." She said, "What choice will he have when you are a part of me. And the power I will receive from you will be an added treasure." She said, her tongue hungrily whipping across her face

"She's _really_ crazy." Raven corrected herself

"Prepare to be DEVOURED!" she roared, shooting off toward Raven

"We'll see about that." Raven retorted before diving down toward her deranged adversary

* * *

"I'm seriously contemplating to let BB stay and rot wherever he's at." Cyborg replied as he, BumbleBee, and Terra trudged through the forest, following Robin's communicator 

"I heard that." He heard from his arm communicator and moments later a familiar face popped up on screen

"Well finally!" Cyborg barked, "Where the hell were you salad-head!?" he yelled, "I mean, that fight with those stupid bugs was tough enough and then we have to go out of our way to save you sorry butt!"

"It's not my fault, that crazy witch captured me!" He shot back

"What is it with you and girls that want to hurt you?" Cyborg asked, "It's bad enough you constantly pester Rae to the point of putting ya six-feet under, and now you got some three-thousand year old witch that wants to kill you."

"Well…I wouldn't say kill…" BeastBoy replied

"Huh?"

"Let's just say that my skills with the ladies have gotten me a killer with a crush on me." He said

"That's even worse. Can't you get a normal girl to like you?" he asked

As Cyborg and BeastBoy talked BumbleBee noticed the expression on Terra's face. Though she was trying to hold it in, it was obvious to the observant bee girl that Terra was beating herself up for past mistakes. With a grunt BumbleBee flew up to Cyborg and whacked him upside the head, growling a threat at him.

"Shut up before I introduce my fist to your teeth!"

"What I do?" he asked

BumbleBee pointed her thumb back to Terra, who was walking a few feet behind, her head hanging downcast. It didn't take long for Cyborg to figure out what BumbleBee meant and he felt downright like an idiot for shooting of his mouth without considering what another felt.

"Terra…" he said, quickly wheeling around to face her, "Sorry…" he mumbled, "Don't listen to me. I'm just an idiot." He said

"Ya got that right." BumbleBee mumbled

"Thank's Bee." He growled

"It's okay." Terra replied, "You didn't mean anything by it. There're just some things that can't be fully healed, that's all. Besides, I deserve it." She mumbled

"No you don't." replied Cyborg, placing a fatherly hand on her shoulder, "Ya made a mistake, mind you a big one…"

"Ahem." BumbleBee coughed

"uhh…but still, only a mistake. You're no different than anyone else, in fact, your mistake was no worse than a mistake by a person whose name shall remain anonymous."

"You know, BeastBoy was speaking through _my_ communicator and if you haven't noticed, it's still one." Replied the voice of Robin

"Like I said, it'll remain anonymous."

"So don't beat yourself up over it." BumbleBee interjected, flying close to the earthmover, "So you screwed up, we all do, especially BeastBoy. That idiot screws up so often you could set your watch by it."

"I'm still here." BeastBoy replied, irate

"I know." Replied BumbleBee

"BEE! You son-of-a-…"

_Click_

"You just love to mess with that guy, don't you?" Cyborg asked

"Just one of the little joys in life."

Terra chuckled, though not at BeastBoy's expense, but at the situation as a hole. The Titans, though a group of like-minded individuals who would put their lives on the line for those they cared for and took matters of loyalty very seriously, could still have fun with one another, even peeve one another off and still end the day as the closest of friends. Terra had that once and she vowed at that moment that she would reclaim it and it seemed that the others were more than happy to welcome her back.

"Alright! Let's get going and find out whatever is going on in this forest!" Terra proclaimed, a new feeling of vigor running through her veins

"Well that was quick. I half expected you to go through some emotional drama that had some highs and low of emo-states and self-denial, ending in a whirlwind of feelings that would eventually result in you seeing what truly matters and having a new insight on life." Cyborg replied

"I'm not like some boy whose name shall remain anonymous."

All three chuckled as they made their way through the forest to their objective.

* * *

From an aerial perspective it could be seen that three groups of Titans were making their way toward a certain point. The two-man team of Robin and BeastBoy were the closest to their destination, followed by the three-person squad of Terra, BumbleBee, and Cyborg. Coming from a different angle, but still last, was the group of four, consisting of Starfire, Aqualad, Speedy, and the twins. 

Surprisingly the brothers hadn't taken off in a blur to be first, content with just simple walking at what they called, "El Paso del No Rápido" or "The Pace of the Non-Rapid."

Having received a communication that BeastBoy was okay, if now hunted by some demonic spell-caster, the Titans were given new orders to investigate a disturbance that Raven had pointed out to be of top-priority. And when Raven said something was top-priority it usually meant it dealt with dark and mysterious ancient magic. After the mission was relayed to the Titans Speedy quickly and expertly summed up what he thought about the outcome of this particular mission.

"I'm gonna be sore in the morning."

"Come friends, we mustn't dawdle. Let us push on and quickly meet up with our friends."

"Right, right." Speedy muttered, picking up the pace

"I don't know what you're so down about." Aqualad commented, "What could possibly happen?" he asked, "We took down her army and those enhanced creatures she sent after us. There is much left she can throw at us." He replied

Oh, how wrong the boy from the sea was.

* * *

"Uh…Robin?" BeastBoy called, his mouth hanging agape, "Can you tell me what I'm looking at?" he asked 

"I would appear there's a giant hole in the ground spewing out fog and a strange dark liquid." Robin replied, bending down toward the edge of the hole

Once the two Titans had cleared a line of trees they immediately came up to what Raven was most likely speaking of. As Robin had brilliantly stated, there was a large hole in the ground, though one could argue it was more of a pool, with a strange substance oozing from it in small quantities. Sticking a finger into the gooey mess that was the strange dark liquid Robin checked the viscosity of the fluid and was surprised to discover that it was warm, though its initial look would lead one to believe it was congealed.

"You know, it's odd, but it seems this liquid is moving in a pattern." He said

"Like a flushing toilet?" BeastBoy replied

"Well…yeah, though I probably would have used a different analogy, but yes, like a flushing toilet."

"So, what's so odd about it…besides it being here in the first place?" BeastBoy asked

"Well, if something is suppose to be coming out then shouldn't this be swirling in the opposite, outward direction?"

"I guess."

"So that means this hole is not spreading, or it has stopped spreading and is now feeding into itself."

"So."

"This means that something is growing within. But I haven't a clue just what that is."

"Well we're here now and nothing has jumped out and attacked us yet so I guess whatever is down there can't be that bad, right?" BeastBoy asked

Oh how wrong the green jokester was.

* * *

Meanwhile, the battle between Raven and Ifrit was only heating up. Or 'eating up' as was the case for Ifrit, who was trying to devour Raven in one gulp, her mouth opening wide, not unlike a snake with its ability to detached its jaw. 

"And I thought Cyborg had a big mouth." Raven quipped

Teeth marks littered the landscape. Trees, boulders, and the very earth itself had been swept up in the gullet of Ifrit, failed attempts at consuming the dark sorceress, and amidst the chaos stood two the women. Both looking as if they had barely been winded.

"If you would hold still this would go by so much easier." She said, her mouth, for the moment, reverted to its original form

"I think I'll decline."

"Very well." Ifrit said, grinning, a grin that resulted in her mouth growing three times as large, "Maybe instead of one strike I shall devour you in pieces, to saver the pain you'll experience."

"You can try." Was the only reply Raven gave

Furrowing her eyebrows, or the equivalent there of on her face, Ifrit took off without much warning, mouth agape, salivating slightly. Raven took a simple defensive stance, a barely noticeable leg movement beneath her cloak, her arms raised only slightly within it. Not very effective in terms of defense, but it gave her enough flexibility to move at a moment's notice. Thus, she was well prepared when Ifrit fired out that long tongue of hers; hoping to wrap it around Raven's arm and drag her in, but she only hit air.

"_Grrr._" She growled in irritation but kept up with her attack nonetheless

This proved to be a miscalculation on her part. Had Ifrit backed away and took her time to notice just what Raven was doing she might have been prepared for what was coming next, but alas, she didn't and she wasn't. Ifrit was already upon her, lunging forward to take a chunk out of Raven, opening wide as Raven backed away to avoid being dinner. As the dark sorceress did so she let her hand spread from her cloak, revealing what she had been doing. A small ball of cackling dark energy, no bigger than a football, floated from her hands just as Ifrit chomped down once again. The ball of energy was engulfed instantly into Ifrit's gullet and as it traveled down Ifrit realized her folly, her eyes growing wide in shock and fear.

"Damn you!" she roared before Raven snapped her fingers and the ball of energy inside exploded

_BOOM!_

In a brilliant display of dark energy Ifrit was blown asunder, leaving only her clothes and pieces of what was once her body to litter the landscape.

"Let's see her come back from that." Raven spat, her energies receding back into her body

It was a wicked end to a wicked creature.

"Now then, on to more pressing matters." Raven thought, turning and taking to the skies to catch up with the other Titans

However, as she left she never noticed the odd movements of Ifrit's remains.

* * *

Soon the first group of Titans joined Robin and BeastBoy, who were currently examining the strange pool. Actually, Robin was examining while BeastBoy had decided to take a nap alongside an odd looking tree. Cyborg grumbled at seeing the laziness of his friend and yet he was overjoyed to see the green imbecile again. BumbleBee had similar feelings for the situation though the smile on her face was far more devious than Cyborg's as she thought up ways to give BeastBoy a hell of a wake-up call. Terra simple smile slightly, happy to see that BeastBoy was unharmed and out of danger...for the moment anyway. She had a bad feeling that the Titans would have to fight again and this battle would not be easy. 

"So Roobie, what you find out?" Cyborg asked

"Not much. My scans say that there isn't anything living in there, but if this is magic or something then my scans might not be able to decipher what's really going on."

"Hope Raven gets here soon." Cyborg commented, "We'd find out in a snap."

"I hope Raven's okay." Robin replied, not liking the idea of leaving Raven behind with such a dangerous villian

"She'll be fine." replied Cyborg, "I'm more worried about the Witch." he replied

Meanwhile...a devious little bee and a concerned earth-mover hovered over the sleeping form of BeastBoy.

"Are you sure about this?" Terra asked skeptically

"Sure I'm sure." replied BumbleBee, "Besides, I think the kid deserves it for all the stuff he pulled."

"Well...maybe, but still..."

"It'll be great, you'll see."

"Okay..." Terra finally conceded

With a swipe of her hand a pile of mud now floated inches above BeastBoy's head, kept in the air by the girl's power. BumbleBee bent down to BeastBoy's level, positioning herself so that her mouth was directly in front of his ear and took a deep breath.

"YO BB, WAKE UP!" she hollered

BeastBoy awoke with a start and shot straight up, right into the muddy surprise floating above him.

_Splat!_

"What!? Ew!" he gagged as the muddy mess splatter on his head

But through it all he noticed the shrilled laughter of a certain stripped Titan.

"BumbleBee!" he yelled, standing to his full height and pointing menacingly toward the taller female, "What was that for?"

"What for?" she asked as if the answer was obvious, "'Cause it was fun, that's what for!" she laughed, doubling over

"I'm so gonna get you for that!" he barked, wiping mud from his hair, "Ya messed with my doo." He muttered

"Well I wasn't he only one having a little fun." She managed to say

"Huh?"

Unable to speak a word due to her laughter she pointed to Terra who had a sheepishly look on her face when BeastBoy looked in her direction.

"You got Terra in on it too?" he asked in disbelief

BumbleBee shook her head.

"You must've tricked her!" he accused

"Actually BeastBoy…she's right." Terra replied, "And it was really funny to see that look on you face!" she cried out before joining BumbleBee in a fit of laughter."

BeastBoy continued to grumble as he got mud out of his hair but hearing the laughter of the two girls he couldn't help but crack a smile himself.

"Guess ya got me, good." He told them as both began to recover

"Well then, I guess you'll think twice about pulling pranks on people." She told him, smiling in victory

"Yep. Oh, what's that?" he asked, pointing to her shoulder

BumbleBee looked and nearly had a heart-attack for a huge roach was resting atop her shoulder.

"_Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!_"

Now it was BeastBoy's turn to collapse in a fit of laughter, his eyes watering as BumbleBee scrambled to get the spider of her shoulder.

"BeastBoy!" she barked, glaring menacingly at BeastBoy

"It's just rubber!" he laughed, picking himself up and grabbing hold of the roach

With a squeeze he showed that it was indeed only made of rubber and BumbleBee felt like a fool afterwards.

"Never try and top the prank master." BeastBoy told her, "But nice try though."

"When did you…?" she began, but BeastBoy beat her to the punch

"The hand is quicker than the eye." He said

"I'll show you a hand." She growled, ready to pounce

Luckily Cyborg intervened before BumbleBee could have her way with BeastBoy.

"Enough children, it's time for grown-up time now." He told them

"Stuff it Sparky." She told him, "Just you wait BB, I'll get you for this."

"You can try Bee, you can try."

"Oh don't worry…I will. BB when I…" she began, but was cut off when the ground began to mysteriously rumble

"What's going on!?" yelled BeastBoy, trying his best to keep his footing, "Is it an earthquake?"

"No. It isn't!" Terra yelled, "I'd know. Something is moving underground, something big!"

The Titans were able to steady themselves on the rumbling ground

"Robin..." BeastBoy began, but the Boy Wonder cut him off

"I know "The Super Scary Monster" cold?" he replied

"Yeah, but it's been upgraded to the flu."

That's when a feeling, a dark feeling swept across the gathered Titans and they all instinctively looked down toward the pool, only to see a huge pair of soulless eyes looking back up at them. Before any of the group had to time comment on this a horrific screech emanated from the pool, causing them to cover their ears.

"Something's coming, get back!" Robin ordered, taking off

The others followed and managed to get a few feet away before an enormous claw emerged from the pool, grinding at the earth in a way that made one wonder if whatever was coming out was in some sort of pain. Another pained screech radiated from the pool, though not nearly as piercing as the earlier one, it was just as menacing. The first claw was followed by a second, both resembling that of reptilian claws. Each claw was situated with four forefingers and one hind-finger, almost resembling a human hand, if not for the odd way it was structured.

"Judging by the size of that claw..." Cyborg replied, though trailed off

"That thing is big, _very_ big." BeastBoy finished

The claw was bigger than any animal BeastBoy could turn into. The changeling was right to class this creature into the 'very big' category, for as it rose from the dark pool the Titans got an up and personal look at the creature's true monstrous size and ghastly appearance. With the body of a snake, yet instead of scales lining this skin, there were plated bones on its back, however leaving a much smoother underbelly, best suited for something that slithered. A tail made its way from the murky darkness, which sported a club, with spikes, and small scales designed for digging into the flesh as opposed to slicing through it. As the Titans turned upward to the head they gaped slightly as just how high up this creature went, blocking out the sun like a demonic mountain. Huge plated ridges extended from the creature's skull, giving it the appearance of wearing a crown tilted down slightly. Fangs, as long as telephone poles hung from its upper jaw, sharp and dangerous as any other protruding body part. Hidden away were its teeth, but as it breathed every-so-often the jagged teeth became visible. Its nostrils flared when it sniffed the air, taking in huge gust of air before breathing back out, the escaping air reaching the tops of trees, blowing away a few stray leaves. Finally the Titans settled on the eyes of the creature, large sharp eyes, devoid of life, almost dead, but not quite. Seeming in complete as they stayed into nothing, unreadable.

"It looks...hurt." Terra managed to say, after the initial shock wore off

The other Titans noticed this too, but they weren't quite ready to whisk the large creature off somewhere to heal its wounds.

In earnest the creature had not real visible afflictions, though it was apparent that it was in pain, something internal was probably the culprit. They were so engrossed with the creature however they never noticed Terra slowly make her way toward it, leaving the safety of the trees. It was not until she was in the clearing did the others notice her disappearance.

"Terra! What are you doing!" he cried out, trying to keep his voice as low as possible, not wanting to spook such a large creature

Terra hadn't heard or was too absorbed with the creature to hear as she approached it, marveling at the sheer complexity off it, and not just for its physical aspects. It released an evil aura, this much was obvious, but the aura wasn't directed at anything in particular, it was simply an outward expression to everything around. Hating the world, yet not wanting to do anything to it. It saddened the geomancer that such a creature existed, full of pain, full of hate, yet not wishing to really release it on anyone or anything in particular. It was just there, almost like an inert expression of itself, like instinct.

"Born to hate." she thought, "A horrible way to live."

The creature had yet to notice her, still looking out into space with a deadpan look. The creature was conscious, but it wasn't thinking. It was as if it couldn't think, not for itself anyway. But it seemed as if it were waiting for something or someone to come, to complete it in a sense. What a strange puzzle, this monstrous beast was.

"_**Ahahehehehehehehehe.**_" she heard someone chuckle lightly, though it was loud enough to alert the other Titans

It couldn't have come from the creature before them. Though deep the creature hadn't moved its mouth enough to laugh and from what they surmised it didn't have the brain capacity to do so.

"_**Feeling pity for an empty vessel? So human.**_" the voice mocked and Terra realized the voice was coming from the pool

She looked down and gasped slightly as something else rose from the pool, just in front of the towering beast.

"A mirror?"

"_**Yes and no.**_" the mirror said, "_**Allow me to introduce myself. I am Yauo, your destroyer.**_"

* * *

Sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoy. (I hate college) 

(Note, Yauo means Night King and Ifrit is more of a generic name for Djinns even though I'm using it for the witch's true name)


	25. Night King, Yauo

Okay, this is where the story gets really exciting (or so I lead you to believe). First however we have to go through a little drama as to round out the story so have fun reading emotional output. Thank you.

* * *

As the cocky words of the mirror reached the Titans a bubbling of sorts took place in the pool around the enormous Insectoid that had yet to make a move. Clawing their way from the muck that was the dark pool, more Insectoids came to life, albeit far smaller in comparison to their larger counterpart, and far less threatening as well. The Titans stepped back, fists clenched in anticipation for the ensuing battle, but instead of immediately jumping at the Titans with claws at the ready, the Insectoids stood their ground, creating a semi-circle around both the mirror and large Insectoid after pulling themselves from the darkness. The hissing sounds of the dark creatures warned the Titans not to approach or they would face certain aggression, but the hissing proved only that much, a warning. They Insectoids made no progress toward the Titans and made no inclination that they would attack the group of superheroes. 

"Why aren't they attackin'" BeastBoy asked, sparing a glance toward Robin

"They weren't ordered to; they're just buying time, aren't you?" Robin asked the mirror

"_**Ahahehehehehehehehe.**_" The mirror chuckled, a dark smile visible within the darkness of the glass, "_**Very astute. I suppose not all humans are slow when it comes to analyzing a situation. I would assume you are the leader of this group?**_" it asked, though it seemed to already know the answer

Robin didn't answer, something the mirror expect, so in response the mirror proceeded to elaborate on Robin's accusation.

"_**Yes, I am trying to prolong this introduction; it is part of my plan.**_" It said

"Which is?" Robin asked, hoping that like most villains, this Yauo would blatantly explain what he was planning on doing

"_**What fun then would it be if I told you that?"**_ he mused,_** "I would rather see you figure it out for yourselves. It is not particularly difficult to comprehend.**_"

Robin continued to stare at the mirror, his mind pumping as he tried to decipher what the strange demon had in mind. His earlier read on the giant Insectoid that towered above them gave him clues to what the demon might have had in mind. The look of life in the creature was absent, or more accurately, not complete. Robin could only surmise that this might have been the 'true' body of Yauo and his spirit was hidden way in the confines of the mirror. Whether this was because Yauo's spirit was trapped or simply hiding out was unknown to the masked vigilante as of yet, however Robin knew that eventually Yauo might make an attempt to fuse with the large creature, thus completing Yauo.

"Well, if completing himself was all he aimed to do then he would have done it already, so that must mean he's trapped in that mirror." Robin thought, coming to a better conclusion, "But he seems pretty confident that his plan will work out so he must have a way of freeing himself." He thought, "If that's it then what is it he's waiting for?" he wondered, "If he needed one of us as a sacrifice then he would have attacked already, so that can't be it, but we're not all here so maybe…"

"_**I wish to pose to you humans a question.**_" Yauo announced, gaining the attention of the Titans, "_**What do you think of your world?**_" he asked

This odd question caught the Titans off guard, thus they couldn't come up with an immediate question to the answer, though it wasn't as if Yauo gave them much time to do so.

"_**You fight to protect your world from evil and corruption and yet no matter how hard you try you can never abolish it from your world. I see your fight as a never-ending fruitless labor.**_"

"So you think it be better if we just roll over and died and let guys like you take over?" BeastBoy quipped, challenging Yauo's explanation

"_**True.**_" Yauo said, smirking behind the mirror, "_**The same thing could be said for the darkness. Evil, caught within a never-ending struggle to dominate the light, a battle that I myself have been guilty of.**_" He said

The Titans weren't quite expecting that kind of reply.

"_**I discovered very long ago that this battle would never end. For all the powers of evil there is good to counter it and for all promises of good there is evil to corrupt it. The very universe is guided by a counterbalancing of light and dark and because of this I would eventually fall due to some intervention on the side of the light."**_ He said,_** "For instance, the all powerful demon known as Trigon, a being of unparalleled evil was eventually defeated by the likes of you.**_" He said, chuckling once again

"How do you know…" Robin began, but Yauo interrupted

"_**I know plenty.**_" He said, "_**Your trek into the forbidden realm to rescue the daughter of Trigon.**_" He said, referring to Robin, "_**The fights you had with your 'darker' persona.**_" He replied, referring to Cyborg and BeastBoy

Flashbacks of that fight played in the mind of the boys. The turmoil each was put through all for the sake of their violet haired compatriot. It was a time that pushed them to and beyond their very limits, both physically and mentally.

"_**I saw it all and I must say I am impressed that mere group of humans helped to deter the very personification of evil and yet I am not that much surprised at the outcome. For all his power he was destined to be defeated, whether at your hands or later, at the hands of others. No evil is forever as no goodness is. That is why I propose to destroy the binds that destiny has on the likes of us and create a world devoid of both. Instead of a world filled with darkness or a world filled with light I will create a world made of shadows!**_" he exclaimed, "_**Shadows cannot be made in the absence of light and yet they create a type of darkness!**_" he cackled, losing his smooth use of word play, "_**The perfect blend of chaos and order, of good and evil, a complete nothingness!**_ _**Ahahehehehehehehehe!**_"

"If there was a world like that there'd be nothing to live for." Replied a much calmer voice, a familiar voice

"Raven!" BeastBoy cried out happily, "'Bout time you caught up!" he called up to her descending form, "What took ya?"

"Ifrit was tougher than I first thought." Was Raven's reply

"Ifrit?"

"Don't worry about it." She said, before returning her attention to Yauo

"_**Ahahehehehehe.**_" Chuckled Yauo, "_**So, the daughter of the infamous Trigon has graced me with her presence, I am honored.**_"

"My _name_ is Raven." She replied stoically, though there was a hint of annoyance in her voice

"_**Heh, I see. Excuse me for my rudeness.**_" He said, in a slightly condescending manner, "_**I see that after defeating the lord of evil you have broken all ties with him.**_" Yauo said, "_**I suspected as much from a 'human'.**_" He said

Raven caught that immediately.

"What is that suppose to mean?" she inquired, a dangerous tone lingering on her words

"_**My only comment is that any true demon offspring would attempt to express their powers fully, unleash their true demonic side. But I sense that you are keeping yours hidden away, most likely the human side of you nature desperately trying to suppress the demonic.**_" He explained, "_**But it doesn't matter, your struggle will soon end**_."

"We'll see."

"_**Well I suppose it would only be proper to deal with the likes of you before going ahead with the new destiny of this planet. Let them experience first hand the future I have for this world.**_"

With a resounding cry the Insectoid lunged toward the Titans, but the small band of fighters was ready from the intrusion of the shadow creatures.

"Titans, spread out!" ordered Robin

Robin had a feeling that Yauo needed one of the Titans in order to be free and he also had a feeling as to who it was. Said key figure hadn't moved much from her current position, only crouching slightly into a defensive stance as she glared at the mirror that housed the terrible demon Yauo.

"He didn't think to attack until Raven got here." He thought, coming up with more conclusions based on the facts he had at hand, "With Raven's abilities he could try to use her to escape, but he hasn't sent any of those things after her yet." Robin thought, looking about the area to confirm the fact that Raven was the only Titan who truly hadn't engaged in battle, "What is he waiting for?" Robin wondered

With his thoughts so focused on Yauo's intent he didn't notice the Insectoid sneaking up upon him. It wasn't until it lunged did he sense its presence. Caught completely off he guard he barely jumped away, but the Insectoid had him, charging forward as he back away. Pulling its razor sharp scythe arm to the side the Insectoid aimed to rend Robin in two and there was no way he would be able counter the attack. All Robin could do was put his arms up and hope to block a fatal blow. Luckily for the caped vigilante he had a bright star watching over him.

"Ha!"

A torrent of bright balls of green light rained down on the advancing Insectoid. Its cries of final life drowned out from the screams of energy that eradicated it with righteous fury. In a flash the Insectoid was reduced to a smoldering pile of dark remains. A shadow loomed over Robin as he pulled his arms away to see what heavenly call saved his life and he smiled when he saw a wave of scarlet hair wafting slightly in the breeze. With hands glowing bright green the amber-skinned extraterrestrial of the Titans greeted Robin with a mixed look of worry and relief.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice softly carried through the air

Robin replied with a smirk and the alien princess replied with a smile that could rival even BeastBoy's monstrous grin.

"Let us do the kicking of butt, yes?" she asked

"Yeah, let's." replied Robin, whipping out a pair of Birdarangs to use in battle

"_Raaaaaawwwwrrrrr!_" growled a green leapord, pouncing upon a wayward Insectoid

Just as the fowl creature fell another came from behind, ready to cleave the olive color feline in two, but the big cat morphed into a small bird and took flight as the scythe appendage came hurtling down. A claw pierced the hide of the downed Insectoid and the attacked Insectoid flailed wildly in pain before finally going still. The small green bird took to the safety of a tree branch and surveyed its surroundings. Though the Titans were obviously outnumbered they were holding their own against the Insectoids so there was no immediate worry, but there was a cause for concern when the bird's eyes landed on Raven who, as of yet, hadn't done anything besides glare angrily at Yauo within his mirror.

"Raven?"

Confused by her sudden lack of initiative the shape-shifter aimed to go over to her and see if she was okay. Though those plans were derailed when an Insectoid leaped up at him, scythe at the ready. BeastBoy skirted away, just as the Insectoid sliced clean through the branch. Having jump so haphazardly to avoid the blow BeastBoy couldn't flap his wings fast enough to get a good lift and ended up crash landing, bouncing along the ground a few feet before coming to a halt, a painful halt.

"Ouch..."

As he struggled to get to his feet, his previous attacker jumped from the tree, claw brandished. BeastBoy sensed it and rolled away, avoiding the following attack, morphing into an anaconda mid-roll and slithering around the attacking Insectoid. Before it even had a chance to react to the scaled menace, the changeling wrapped around the Insectoid and proceeded to crush the life out of it. A sharp cry was all that came from its throat before going limp under the muscles of BeastBoy's anaconda form. With that enemy defeated the shape-shifter continued, unhindered, on his venture toward Raven. As he morphed back to his human form he nearly tripped over himself in his hurry to get over to Raven, but managed to keep his footing, albeit clumsily.

"Hey Raven, Raven!" he called, trying to gain the girl's attention

Raven turned to him slightly, giving him a somewhat irritated look, suddenly turning to shock. Before BeastBoy could decipher such a sudden turn of mood he was caught off guard by a powerful punch from below. Literally ripping out of the ground a previously thought defeated enemy reemerged to make her presence known.

"Wah!" he cried, but that was quickly put to rest when a dark fist collided with his jaw

"_Fahahahahahah._" cackled a familiar enemy

"You!" growled Raven, dark power already accumalating around her palms, "I destroyed you, I saw it!"

"Yes, but I was revived." she said, cracking her knuckles, "Every time I am killed I shall revive." she said, her grin vicious

BeastBoy groaned as he rubbed his jaw, trying to come to grips with what just happened to him.

"I must apologize, BeastBoy, but I could not let you come any closer." she told him, "It was for your own good."

"Thanks, I _really _appreciate it." he muttered

"She's right, though I hate to admit it." Raven said, her glare never straying from Ifrit

The look on BeastBoy's face showed Raven he didn't know what she meant.

"Look up." she said, pointing straight up

BeastBoy looked in the direction, confused at first, but then quickly coming to understanding as he saw the reason behind Ifrit's attack. The towering beast before him was glaring down at BeastBoy with determination. BeastBoy couldn't tell if this was from anger or not, but he was sure it was looking dead at him, it's enormous claw raised in an attack position.

"I didn't even notice it move." BeastBoy thought, shocked by the speed possessed by such a large creature

"It may not have a soul, but its still aware enough to react to threats to its master." Ifrit explained to BeastBoy

"Wha...? Wait, wait, wait!?" exclaimed BeastBoy, "If that's the case then how come your so close?" he asked accusingly, pointing to Raven

"Simple..." replied Ifrit

"Easy..." replied Raven

"It wants me..." "Master wants her..." they said as one

When they realized that they spoke earily similar thoughts the two dark females glared at one another with a look that made BeastBoy's blood run cold.

The sheer level of hate that the two had for one another was daunting, almost palpable to the changeling. He endeavored to calm the two females, if only to assure that he wouldn't become the outlet for their rage, being that he was right in reaching distance of the two.

"Why are all the hot ones scary?" BeastBoy thought

"You will feed Master's power to allow his vision for this world to come to fruition." Ifrit snarled

"I don't care how many times you come back, I'll kill you again and again." Raven shot back, matching Ifrit's ferocity

"Uh...girls?" BeastBoy mumbled, trying to gain their attention

"WHAT!?" they barked

"Don't kill me!" he squealed, putting his hands up as if defending from a blow

"**_Ahehehehehe_**." chuckled Yauo, bemused by the antics in front of him

However, no matter how much fun he was having watching such trivial things, the time had come and he still needed on last thing before he could be free.

"**_Ifrit, it is time._**" he said, gaining Ifrit's immediate attention, "_**Do whatever you must, but I must have that half-demon's power.**_"

"Yes my Master."

"**_If anyone should interfere, annihilate them without mercy._**" he said

"Master? But..."

"**_Anyone!_**" he roared, puttin an end to any questioning of his orders

"Yes my Master." she replied, though less attentive than before, "You, it is time for you to meet the Master." she said, her glare on Raven

"Try it."

In moments a wicked transformation took place, one that Raven was quite familiar with. With deadly elongated claws and a mouth that could chew through stone, Ifrit took on her more monstrous visage.

"Freaky..." BeastBoy thought, "But still sorta hot, but in a freaky way."

"Do not think you will deceive me like before, I am more wary of you this time." she said, her long tongue moving across her face as if it had a mind of its own

Raven merely furrowed her brow and gathered her power. BeastBoy meanwhile bent down and then quickly morphed into a jaguar.

"Do not make me kill you." Ifrit said, talking to the growling feline, "You know you cannot defeat me."

BeastBoy only growled louder and Ifrit knew there was no way to sway him.

"Very well, it is a shame though. Such a waste." she said, "You want to battle me, even though you do not have the power to do so, just so that you may protect your ally." she said, "It is foolish...idiotic, in my eyes."

The growl that radiated from BeastBoy's throat only intensified in ferocity, the anger evident in BeastBoy's eyes.

"_Fahahaha._" she chuckled, "But I suppose that is your nature. Full of high goals, yet needing the power of others to help you obtain them. Alone, you haven't the power to fight me or protect those you cherish."

"BeastBoy...don't let her goad you." Raven warned, but BeastBoy wasn't listening

"Unless...you have a power you have yet to show me? A power, that is worthy of my strength?"

Ifrit seemed to be hinting at something, almost as if she was trying to get a certain rise out of BeastBoy, and Raven could sense her intent.

"She wants power, eh? I'll show her power!" BeastBoy roared in his head

BeastBoy rushed forward before Raven could stop him and in moments of reaching the Witch his body underwent another transformation. Ifrit was soon overshadowed by a colossal form, its wings spreading wide above her as a new creature towered above her. Four large paws dug into the earth as the new creature took its stance. A long, serpentine tail whipped about excitedly, almost as if it had a mind of its own. Sharp eyes narrowed onto the foe before it and a low grow could heard before the reptilian creature whipped its head around toward Ifrit and let loose a deep-throated roar.

**_RRRRAAAAWWWWRRRR!!!!_**

But even in the shadow of BeastBoy's dragon form, all Ifrit could do was smile, almost expectent, though she was still rather surprised at the impressive sight before her.

"Very well." she cackled, "Take this!" she yelled, throwing an intense blast of psychic energy at BeastBoy

In a flash, BeastBoy's wing darted in front of him and blocked the blow, hardly budging as he took the attack. Meanwhile, the Insectoids doing battle with the other Titans turned their attention to the much larger threat that had appeared, literally turning around mid-attack to go after BeastBoy. The Witch backed away as her minions swarmed BeastBoy, slashing away at the much large creature. There attacks proved ineffective against BeastBoy's hide and he knocked them away with vicious swipes from his paws as they came at him.

"There goes BB." Cyborg commented, looking as BeastBoy and the Insectoids had at one another, "Think we should get into that?" he asked

"There is no question." Starfire replied, Starbolts increasing in intensity, "Let us help out friend." she said, she and many of the other Titans rushing to BeastBoy's aid

Robin however didn't immediately rush over to BeastBoy, a bad feeling creeping up his back.

"It's odd." Robin said outloud

"What is?" asked BumbleBee, one of the other Titans to not immediately attack

"Why would all of them go after BeastBoy?" he asked, "I mean, sure, he is a big threat in that form, it was almost as if they were waiting for him to transform into that."

"No way, why would they _want_ to get owned?" BumbleBee asked, "Besides, I thought it was Raven they wanted? With her freaky powers she'd be an obvious choice to them."

"I know, but something doesn't add up. Those things didn't even bother to go after Raven. Not even in an attempt to restrain her, so they could use her powers." he thought, until something hit him, "You're right." he told BumbleBee

"About what?" she asked, slightly confused

"Raven would be the obvious choice if Yauo needed one of us to break free. But what if that was what Yauo wanted us to think. What if it isn't Raven that he wants, but BeastBoy?" he pondered

"What could B possibly do to break that guy out?" she asked

"I'm don't know, but I'm not waiting to find out." he told her, "Something is fishy here and I think I know how we can find out what." he said, "We're going after that Witch." he said

Ifrit slowly backed away from the chaos that had been created when the Insectoids attacked BeastBoy and the subsequent assistance of the other Titans. However she was not sneaky enough to avoid being spotted by Raven, who too thought something was odd about the hurried attack on the shapeshifter. She flew toward Ifrit, ignoring the Insectoids that either flew from BeastBoy or joined in battle, making her way toward Ifrit. The three thousand old Djinn saw her however and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Robin and BumbleBee coming over toward her.

"I suppose it was only wishful thinking to think they would all go to help BeastBoy." she thought, "They may interfere if they aren't stopped."

Yauo however, was one step ahead of the Titans and with a single command made plans to impede the Titans.

"Stop them." he ordered, and upon his command the towering beast that blocked out the sun raised a paw to the two Titans

Robin and BumbleBee saw the claw coming a mile away, but it was still coming fast so they had no time to dawdle and immediately got of the the way before they could be crushed. BumbleBee pointed her stingers toward the claw as it made another pass at them. She knew she couldn't stop something so massive, but if she could deter it long enough, maybe they'd have a chance. But before she had a chance to fire upon the claw, Robin stopped her.

"Don't worry about that thing, its not the real problem." he told her, "She is." pointing to Ifrit, "Follow my lead."

Robin made a mad dash toward Ifrit, just sliding under the claw swipe from the enormous creature. A look of worry appeared on Ifrit's face as Robin got in close and with a hand movement she fired a blast of psychic energy that crashed full force into Robin. As he flew away however he let loose a birdarang that screamed through the air toward Ifrit. The dark djinn just managed to put her hand up and catch the flying object, just before it could take her head off.

"Nice try human, but it seems fate was not on your side." she cackled

"Oh really?" someone said above her

Ifrit looked up only to see a fist smash into her, dropping her in one blow. Her attacker then stood above her, fists clenched and ready for more combat.

"Yo Robin, you okay?" asked the winged female

"Yeah BumbleBee." he replied, rising to his feet

"As for you, if you want more of the same, just get up, and I'll be more than happy to oblige." BumbleBee goaded

"I do not have time to deal with you nuisances." Ifrit muttered, standing and brandishing her claws

But just before she and BumbleBee could come to blows, a loud roar from BeastBoy turned her attention toward him. BeastBoy had broken free from the mob of Insectoids that had attacked him and was coming her way, snarling viciously as he stretched out his long legs in a run.

"Not now." she growled, turning back to BumbleBee, "Have to dispose of her somehow." she thought, trying to rack her brain for an idea

BeastBoy was on top of her now, with BumbleBee backing away with her stingers pointed at her. She was trapped, unless...

"It may just succeed yet." she thought, running full speed toward BumbleBee

BeastBoy crashed behind her, losing his footing as he just missed with a claw strike, but he quickly stumbled to his feet and followed after. Bolts of electricity shot from BumbleBee's stingers, but Ifrit dodged, using her flexibility to dodge the oncoming bolts. BeastBoy was once again over Ifrit, claw rising up to come down hard on her and at that moment Ifrit shot her tongue out at BumbleBee. The striped Titan tried to dodge out of the way, but Ifrit managed to snag her leg and with a might tug, pulled her in just as BeastBoy's paw came crashing down.

_WHAM!_

BeastBoy hadn't realized just what he hit until after his paw smashed into the dirt, but true horror was soon etched upon his face as he raised his paw to see that it was not Ifrit that had taken the brunt of the blow, but his very ally, BumbleBee.

"Fa...whaha...hahaha!" Ifrit cackled, though she didn't look too well off either, even though she had used BumbleBee as a human shield, "It...would...seem that you...are not...as protective...of your friends...as you think..." she managed to say, before taking off as quickly as she could

BeastBoy stared at his claw, not able to believe that it was his very claw that had struck down one of his friends. His gaze turned to BumbleBee, who seemed to be in a state of semi-conscious. For her it was as if she had been hit by a truck. BeastBoy felt pain in his heart for hurting his friend through is own negligence and an unknown anger rise in the pit of his gut. His eyes closed tight, as well as his jaw and he berated himself for not being more careful and for letting Ifrit put his friend in harms way. His anger burned, and that burning sensation rose from his gullet until he could feel it in the back of his throat. His head snapped toward Ifrit, eyes shooting open at the one who had caused this. Ifrit was backing away toward the giant Insectoid, hoping to use it for cover, but BeastBoy didn't care. All his focus was on the Ifrit and that look in her eyes, as if she was mocking him for something she caused. He gritted his teeth as that burning sensation reached his mouth, flailing about his mouth, wanting to escape its confines. Anger took over BeastBoy's actions as he opened his mouth and let loose an inferno of flames from deep within. And Ifrif, for all that was going to befall her, could only grinned as the intense heat barreled down on her, threatening to incinerate her in an instant.

"Perfect."

She could feel the heat of the flames before they even reached her, but she was unafraid of the advancing blaze. As it grew near she dug underground, letting the flames just pass over her, avoiding incineration. Thus, the wayward flames missed her, but not what she was standing in front of, which happened to be the demonic mirror. The flames collided with the mirror with impressive force, but even so the mirror seemed to absorb the power being thrown at it, growing hotter and hotter as more and more flames were fed into it. But even this demonic mirror had a limit and before long the mirror had reached that limit. With a resounding crack the mirror shattered, it pieces falling to the dark pool below, disappearing into the vastness of the shadows.

"**_Finally!_**" bellowed a voice from the pool of shadows, "**_After countless years, I am finally free. Oh how long I have waited to be free!_**"

The Titans stopped, the Insectoids stopped, everything seemed to stop as the voice rang out in joy for its apparent freedom.

"_Fawhahaha!_" cackled Ifrit, climbing free from the dirt, "I would like you to meet, my Master." she said, just as a large claw arose from the muck behind her

Mimicking the much larger Insectoid that towered above them, the true form of Yauo was rather serpentine; though the crown that adorened his head was much more elaborate than that of the larger. A long tongue slithered from his mouth, seeming just as happy to be free of his jaw as Yauo was to be free of his mirror. He looked toward the sky, the sun beaming down upon him, accentuating his outline.

"**_Such magnificence, it is almost a shame I must block this world from its view._**" he mused

Though only half the size of BeastBoy's current form, this new creature seemed to radiate a feeling of emptiness, leaving a feeling of despair in the hearts of the Titans. Especially BeastBoy, who in sheer shock involuntarily morphed back to his human form, his face devoid of expression. Yauo turned to the shapeshifter, a bemused look on his face as his tongue slithered back into his mouth.

"_**Ahehehehehe. I should thank you for freeing me green one. Through you actions I will bring this world to a new order.**_"

BeastBoy gasped, as if he had been shot in the heart, taking a step back in disbelief, but soon coming to realization that what Yaou spoke was indeed true.

"W-W-What have I done?" he murmured, breaking down to his knees

* * *

There is no excuse for the wait. College is long and hard. Enjoy 


	26. The Darkness Sweeps Over

To be honest I've had writer's block for this particular story for some time so I've resigned myself to writing other stories until I was able to come out of the stump I've been in. This is the gateway chapter that will introduce the true actions scenes. For any reading I hope this sets you up for what's coming next.

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The evil that resonated from the Night King Yauo was like a curtain of darkness over the area, as if a strange weight had been added to the once peaceful forest. The erratic Insectoids whose only thoughts were to create mindless destruction stopped in their tracks, their eyes looking up to come to rest on the visage of their true creator.

Yauo himself looked toward the sky, his eyes focusing on the sun above. He almost felt sorry that soon the sun would no longer rise for the Earth, but his darkness would spread across the planet and nothing would stand in his way. All he had to do was fuse with his 'true' form. Said true form had not done much in the terms of moving ever since its attack on Robin and Bumblebee. It had once again resigned itself to looking off into the distance, looking for something and yet not knowing what that something was.

Yauo would have sat and simply watched the dimming sunlight in the distance. Being trapped in a mirror had robbed him the chance of seeing the world in so long that even this simple sight was enough to captivate him. However he did not have the time, for he had to blanket the planet in his darkness to begin his reign. Truly it was ironic, loving the sunlight as he did and yet needing to block it out. But with nothing more than slight disappointment the serpentine creature went to the task of acquiring his true body.

"**_Ifrit._**" he called, gaining the attention of his most loyal servant

"Yes, my master." she replied

"**_Lead the rest of my forces against these Titans while I achieve my true form._**" he replied

"As you wish." she replied, "To me!" she called, gaining the attention of the Insectoids

The aforementioned beasts broke away from their current battles and congregated around Ifrit, slowly becoming a single-minded entity. The Titans had regrouped as well, taking refuge behind the tree line, just out of sight of the Insectoids.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked, referring to the unconscious Bumblebee

"I-I'm fine..." replied the buzzing Titan, "Takes more than some sneaky witch to take me down."

"You sure." replied Robin

From what the masked martial artist could tell Bumblebee looked rather haggard, if not in need of medical assistance.

"I told you, I'm fine. I can take a hit."

Robin wasn't entirely convinced, but the current situation didn't give him much choice in the matter. This Night King was released and it would be only a matter of time before he attempted to fuse with the much larger creature towering above. He had a bad feeling that the Titans wouldn't be able to stop the two from fusing, but he would be damned if he just sat back and watched things unfold.

"I'm not going to sugar-coat this." he replied, watching as the Insectoids grouped completely together, "We have an evil deity planning who knows what for the city and a large army under his beck and call. We have to try and stop him before he completes his transformation, no matter what it takes."

"Right." they all replied as one, knowing full well there was no room for argument

"Good. Titans Go!"

With precision that only a finely tuned warriors possessed the Titans leapt out of the tree line and went onto the attack, all except for two.

"You coming?" asked the brunette bumble battler

"Uh...Bee...I..." mumbled Beastboy, "Are you really okay?"

"You know, it doesn't really matter whether or not if I'm okay." she replied, a grinning oddly, "If we don't stop that guy then none of us will be okay." she told him, "So buck up, 'cause we'll need everyone to stop this guy."

And with that she took off to battle. With a sigh Beastboy followed after.

* * *

"So the evil has finally awakened?" wondered a large, lizard-like creature

The imprisoned reptile knew it was only a matter of time before the evil beast had been freed from his prison. The Titans just had no clue exactly what they were dealing with. The large lizard sighed, knowing full well a battle of epic proportions would soon take place and he was stuck underground, bound, unable to weigh his influence on it. In all honesty he felt cheated. He had only recent be released from the confines of his book (yet again) and now the world was about to be ended. He wanted to at least get his revenge on the green one before he took his eternal dirt nap.

"Life is undoubtfully cruel." he murmured

That was a lesson he had learned time and time again, with no mercy from what fate threw at him. But he had always fought strong against the terrible happenings in his life. He had always had a plan. No matter what he had to face he never back down, never let himself fall into a spiral of despair. He didn't have that luxury. His dreaded existence wouldn't allow him that. He had to carry out his goal in life. He had to live on, as the last living dragon of the Earth. He would not let the once proud race that he was a part of die out, in both body and mind. He would be the storyteller of his kind, even if he had to imprint his story into history as an evil creature born of hate and rage.

"But maybe...that boy." he wondered

The green one, the one that defeated him in combat, he was a mystery to the dread dragon. He could transform into one of his own. At first he thought it to be some trick, some twisted mockery of his race. But as he and the green one battle it soon became apparent to the lizard beast that this transformation was truly that of a dragon. It confused, yet intrigued the dark dragon to think that there was a being in the world that could morph into the most sacred of creatures.

"No...he may be like me, but he does not understand my goal." muttered the trapped fire-breather

He was naive. That was what the dread dragon believed anyway. He could laugh at the green one's affinity toward his friends. He believed he could help them simply by not giving up. But Malchior had learned the hard way that that line of think only ended in misfortune and despair. He almost felt sorry for the boy, knowing all too soon that he would go through the same thing that the dread dragon had all those years ago.

"He will one day be like me...for I was once like him."

* * *

"We once again meet in battle." snarled Ifrit, her body tense as he glared venomously at her opponent

"For the final time." replied the dark haired Raven

"Not likely. I've already said. As long as my master lives, I live."

Raven glared, but did not reply, knowing full well that tidbit of information. However, while Ifrit was essentially immortal she was not invulnerable and from the looks of it, was rather weakened from her previous battle with Raven. Not to mention that even though Bumblebee had taken the brunt of BeastBoy's accidental blow, the attack still had taken some of the fight out of Ifrit. Ifrit was still a threat and yet she was very vulnerable.

"Safe to say she won't try and eat me anytime soon." Raven thought, "Probably will stand back and let those creatures do her dirty work while Yauo tries to fuse with that thing."

Her eyes darted to the sky to see Bumblebee and Starfire doing battle with flying Insectoids, impeding an aerial attack on Yauo. The Titans on the ground didn't fair much better, as the swarm protecting Yauo was nearly impossible to get through. The coordinated defense of the Insectoids acted like a wall between the Titans and Yauo, who had just commanded his large form to bend down since Yauo himself did not possess any ability to fly.

"Perfect." she muttered

"Heh." chuckled Ifrit, "You now see how futile it is to fight." she replied, "Soon my master will be complete and then this world will see light no longer."

"I've heard the same line from tons of others. It's starting to get old." Raven retorted, unfazed by Ifrit proclamation

"Jest all you like." Ifrit quipped back, "There is nothing that can save you from the inevitable."

"Another line I've heard far too often." Raven replied

Her glare intensified, burning into Raven, but Ifrit spoke not a word. It was obvious that the time for witty banter was over with and the two female magic-users prepared to go all out against one another. Spreading her arms out on either side of her Raven let her powers take hold, vibrating steadily in her palms. Meanwhile the delicate hands of Ifrit morphed into sickening sickles, ready to cut through stone like butter or rend flesh from bone.

Possibly at the same time the two woman rushed each other, moving with such spontaneity that one would have swore they hadn't been standing still in the first place. Both pulled back their palms, concentrating their respectable energies to one point. When they reached one another they shot their hands forward, unleashing their pent up power instantly.

_BOOM!!_

The initial impact caused a wild release of energy on both sides; their energies lashing out with such insanity one would think they were alive. Moments later the two energies back lashed and launched their respective sorceress sailing back in the opposite direction.

Raven and Ifrit were not the only females with their hands full in battle; Starfire and Bumblebee were fighting a vicious battle of survival against the onslaught of Insectoid enemies.

"Raaaaaaaaah!!" roared Starfire, her hands and eyes burning with blazing intensity

Starbolts rained down on the foolish Insectoids that dared to stand against the Tameranian princess, eradicating them in green flashes of light. But no matter how many she destroyed, more rose from the murky pool to replace those defeated.

"This isn't getting us nowhere." Bumblebee replied, just downing yet another Insectoid

Starfire knew this fact just as well as Bumblebee. The supply of fresh new Insectoids to the front lines came far too quick for the young alien to handle.

"I must attack the source." she thought, staring down at the dark pool

Her attention was then focused on the large behemoth that was Yauo 'true' body. It had lowered its body toward its master, who seemed more than eager to become one with the monstrous entity.

"I cannot let them become one. But the only way to do so would be to...it will waste a great deal of my energy, but I have not the choice." she murmured

"What you talking about Star?" Bumblebee asked

"Very well then." replied Starfire, in a tone that surprised Bumblebee, "As my friends say, we have a notch that must be taken to the next level."

"You mean, turn it up a notch?" Bumblebee questioned, but Starfire had not heard her for she was concentrating to hard

"Friend, I ask you to cover my rear end while I prepare to deal with our problems." Starfire declared

"If you mean 'watch your back' then okay." replied Bumblebee, "But what you planning?"

"You shall be witness to it soon."

A small ball of starbolt energy sparked to life in the palms of the amber-skinned alien, its spastic movements only growing more intense as she fed more energy into the ball. The once small ball of energy did not stay small for long under the sway of Starfire's will.

Bumblebee fought relentlessly to keep back the Insectoids that tried to swarm her and Starfire, her electrical shocks swiftly rippling through their foul bodies. It was not until she noticed an intense bright light did she turn to witness the supremacy that was Starfire's new attack. Bumblebee's eyes went wide as the small ball of energy became an enormous sphere of power.

"Star?" Bumblebee murmured, in awe

"Friend, if I were to somehow become you, I would leave." she replied

"Right..." she murmured, slowly backing away from Starfire

With a looked that screamed bloody murder Starfire pulled her arms back, her sphere of destruction following her movement the entire time. The surrounding Insectoids hesitated at the Starbolt bomb as it radiated with righteous fury. The pool was the source of the problem, so Starfire would take the simplest approach to solving the problem and remove the pool, in one big flashy display.

"**_Receive this!!_**" she boomed, releasing her attack

Everyone heard her loud, bold exclamation, the Titans, the Insectoids, even Yauo. But even so. none of them were prepared for what happened next.

**_KER-BOOM!!_**

The explosion was deafening, even within the murky depth of the dark pool. Insectoids climbing from the pool were eradicated in seconds and those nearby were launched through the air. Even the enormous beast towering above them felt the sting of the Starbomb, a strangled cry of pain emanating from its throat as it exploded. The blast knocked it off balance, causing it to fall to the earth below. A loud thud could be heard as it hit the ground, followed by a pained grunt.

A swamp of dark green 'ooze' that covered everything in the immediate area greeted those lucky enough to be out of the blast radius. The strange liquid swamped the area, engulfing everyone around. Even the Night King was not saved from being covered by the very ooze that gave him strength. And it was this very drenching that helped to impede his progress of fusing with his much larger form.

Exhaustion had fallen upon the rouge-haired Tameranian with the exhortation of such a powerful blast of starbolt energy. But even though she had overdone it with the monstrous blast, she had fulfilled what she had aimed for. While nowhere near defeated the endless numbers of the Insectoids had be brought to an almost complete stop, with the pool of their creation now nothing more than a hole in the ground.

However, not everyone thought that being blanketed with a strange fluid was the best of situations.

"Yuck." muttered Raven, having pulled herself up only to slip once again into a puddle of ooze, "Perfect."

"Well that was, excessively explosive." replied Aqualad, removing what he believed to be a limb of one of the Insectoids from his hair

"Wasn't half bad though." replied Speedy, "But it was real messy."

"Kaboom!" Mas y Menos cried out happily

"I'm glad I waxed this morning." Cyborg replied, wiping ooze from his skull, "Wonder what got her in an explosive mood?"

"Sometimes you just have to blow off some steam." replied Terra, "And besides..." she began, levitating two large boulders on either side of her, "Now is not the time to be holding anything back." she said, before racing off toward Yauo

The large demon saw the advancing geomancer but paid her little mind. His only concern was getting to his 'true' body and becoming complete, especially since the dark pool that once feed his army was now reduced to nothing but a large crater. As Terra closed in on the real enemy, a group of Insectoids swarmed her from every possible angle, descending upon her like locust. But the earthmover was not deterred by such an attack and used the two large boulders as barriers, letting the Insectoids smash into them. They screeched and clawed at the rocky obstacles and within seconds reduced them to rubble, but strangely they found no blonde battler beneath the decimated rock.

With his intentions so focused on fusing with his 'real' body, the Night King never noticed the ground ahead of him crack every so slightly. It was not until he heard a rumble from below did he break her focus, but by then it was too late. A wave of dirt smashed into him, burying him from head to tail in topsoil. Terra leaped from her position underground, her hands glowing a fierce yellow. She knew full well that that little display of earth-kinesis would not be enough to topple the Night King and was ready for him to emerge from the earthy mound and attack. And emerge he did.

A green glow ignited from within the earthy prison, soon followed by a blaze of, strangely enough, green flames. The somewhat explosive display of power caused soil to be launched in all directions, though Terra did not fall prey to being enveloped due to her mastery over the ground. Dirty stopped inches from her face and with nothing more than a thought was cleared away to give a clear view of her daunting opponent. At least twenty times her own size the Night King outclassed her in weight, strength, and from the looks of his slithering motion, speed. But even so she didn't falter under his gaze, or his exclamation at her sneak attack.

"**_Be gone or be destroyed!_**" he said, his response clear and without room for interpretation

"Make me." she replied, the intensity of her glowing hands only increasing

"**_So be it._**" he replied, opening his mouth and letting the emerald flames accumulate in his gullet

Throwing her hand forward Terra commanded a small nearby boulder to launch itself toward Yauo, in an attempt to disrupt his fire breathing, but Yauo was quicker than she had expected and released the flames within his mouth, eradicating the boulder before it could reach him. Luckily she had good reaction speed and was ready with a barrier, erecting a dirt dome to protect herself against the unnatural flames. Unfortunately the attack was a stream of flames that relentlessly pushed against her dome and eventually the makeshift barrier corroded under the intense heat and forced Terra to retreat or be roasted alive.

With his distraction momentarily out of his way he made his way toward the head of the large beast, using his serpentine body to glide nearly effortlessly across the barren soil. He reached the head in seconds and was disappointed at the fact that the creature looked rather pained.

"**_What a ridiculous creature._**" he scoffed, "**_Without a soul it lets even the smallest things affect it so. But that will all change when I fuse with it._**" he replied, before sensing a disturbance

Darting his head to the side, the Night King avoided yet another boulder aimed for his elaborate cranium.

"**_You are persistent._**" Yauo replied, turning to meet up with Terra

"You know, that 'ridiculous creature' doesn't have a choice in what it feels." she commented, "It doesn't know how to react in a world that it just exists in. It doesn't _live_ in this world so you can't expect it to understand it."

"**_And what do you know of its existence?_**" Yauo questioned

He knew that he was wasting valuable time talking with a creature that he felt was below him, but he was indeed curious by Terra's adept perceptive abilities.

"It was created to hate, but not for itself." she replied, "The despair it has, it's fuel for you, isn't it."

Yauo chuckled at that. The human had hit the nail on the head.

"**_Yes._**" he replied, letting the word hang in the air for dramatic effect, "**_My power, the power of shadows, is influenced by despair, deceit, and hopelessness._**" he explained, "**_That creature is an adapter for my powers. It feeds them, amplifies them, and gives them strength._**"

"But why do you need it?" she asked, puzzled, "Couldn't you just make yourself stronger?"

"**_Yes, but I would bound to my own limitations._**" he told her, "**_This body has been in creation for countless years, though it had no form. It was the accumulation of all the negative emotions that humans possess. For every human that has come for a wish on my mirror, the power of despair grows._**" he said, building in excitement, "**_Think of the years, the number of wishes granted! This body has the power to veil the world over with my shadows several times!_**" he said, laughing, "**_You stand here before me, ready to challenge my power and do not realize that that very power came from the selfishness of humans!_**" he bellowed happily, "**_So know this! The pain it feels, the despair that constricts its heart, all came about from humans and their insatiability!_**"

He wasn't laughing at her, but at her humanity. At the faults that she, as well as all other humans, shared with one another. He laughed at her because he knew what a person was willing to do and willing to destroy for their own convictions. He laughed at her because he knew, whether consciously or not, that at one point she was guided by the negative emotions that gave strength to the downed behemoth before her. And he laughed at her because he knew that at one point she enjoyed those negative thoughts and used them as reasoning for her betrayal.

"You're...right." she replied, her face downcast

"**_Hmm?_**" he murmured, his laughing yet to cease, though his attention was focused on her, "**_For what?_**" he asked

"You're right. I can't judge you. Even though you want to send everything into the shadows. I can't judge you because everything you said was true."

"**_Hah._**" he chuckled, "**_So you finally understand the hopelessness of the situation._**" he said, "**_You will fit quite well into my new world._**" he said, turning toward his 'true' body

"Wait." she said, once again gaining his attention, "You _are_ right. But there is something you don't get." she replied

"**_Like what?_**" he asked

"With all that hate, with all that despair, with all that hopelessness, there are people out there who aren't swallowed by it. There are people who are willing to strive for something more. They use those negative aspects to learn about themselves, to discover their weaknesses. They live with such an intense knowledge of self-awareness that sometimes they don't even know it."

"**_And how is that!?_**" Yauo asked, his joyous demeanor being replaced with that of anger

"Easy." she replied, bringing her head up to reveal a face devoid of anguish, "It's never too late to change, for a person, for a group, for anyone on earth to become something more. No matter what we bring upon ourselves, its never too late to become something more, something better." she said, her hands glowing brightly with power, "So yeah, despair may have created that 'ridiculous creature' but it'll be hope that stops it."

The Night King snorted violently, his anger horribly apparent. For a human, to stand against him and spout such words. It angered him to now end. This was what he hated the most, the nonstop fight against what he believed to be human nature. Why did the humans denounce their evil so readily and yet posses the qualities that made them just that. Humans were a mystery to him and would probably be for all his existence. However he would not have to put up with their nature for much longer. Once he fused with his 'real' body he would be able to put an end to this inconsistency and create a perfect world of nothingness.

But first, he would erase from existence the little, blonde-haired earthmover that stood in his way.

"**_Burn._**" he said, plain and simple, his mouth opening to release a ball of flames from his throat

She brought a hand up, a mound of earth quickly following and used it to blow the blow. The jade flames exploded violently against the wall of earth, but the wall held fast, though the flames did not dissipate for some time.

"This isn't normal fire." Terra though as she let the wall of earth fall back down

In actuality she had discovered the abnormality of the flames long before hand, being that they were _green_ and all, but even when covered with dirt the flames still raged on. Terra could only guess what would happen should the flames make contact with her. But even so, she was not about to let a few corrupted flames deter her from her task at hand.

"Bring it on." she quipped, the ground beneath her shaking under her will

* * *

"Come on, bring it." quipped the voice of the buzzing Titan known as Bumblebee

But this was only bravado, as the striped Titan was nearly at her limit. The twisted irony of being squashed by BeastBoy along with the previous battles had taken their toll on Bumblebee, her attacks becoming nothing more than irritating shocks against the tough hides of her Insectoid opponents.

"This isn't good." she thought, the Insectoids swarm so tight that it looked to be a lump of flesh with multiple eyes, "But I can't really ask for a time out now can I?"

A chorus of screeching echoed from the throats of the fearsome beasts that surrounded her, their ghoulish intent palpable with each sound that escaped their mouths.

"Back off you poor excuses for cockroaches!" she barked, her stingers glowing with electrical might

But with each passing second that electrical power waned, representing her own lack of strength to fight off her malicious foes.

With a defiant, blood-curdling screech the Insectoids attacked, lunging at Bumblebee with their scythe arms gleaming viciously in the dimming light of the day. But before they could tear through her mercilessly and reduce her to nothing a blast of sonic waves crashed into the advancing group, breaking up their formation and leaving them stunned and confused. Bumblebee raised an eyebrow at this intrusion, thoroughly confused. But before she or even the Insectoids to figure out what had happen, a triumphant trumpet sound blasted into the air. Soon after a wild pachyderm rampaged through the ranks of the Insectoids, easily crushing them under its enormous weight.

"What's happening Bee? Thought you were better than this. Don't tell me a few bugs have got you beat." replied Cyborg, taking a defensive position to her left

"Heh. Not a chance Sparky." replied Bumblebee, "But thanks for the assist anyway."

"Not a prob."

"You ready to fight?" she asked, referring to the changeling that moments before was an elephant

"As I'll ever be." replied Beastboy, though it didn't quite sound as enthusiastic as she had hoped for

"Let's go!" she barked, dashing forward

"Hey, that's my line." Cyborg muttered, following after her, Beastboy in tow

The three Titans leapt into action as they began their counter-attack on the Insectoids. With a feeling of superiority Bumblebee was the first to attack, driving her heel into the head of the first Insectoid to cross her path. But before the dark creature fell to defeat, two more Insectoids lunged at her, scythe arms extended. She managed to dodge the first attacker on her left and swept her foot around, smashing it into the face of the second.

With a screech the first attacker aimed to continue its assault of the buzzing Titan, but was obliterated by a blast of sonic energy before it had the chance. The robotic Titan ran past Bumblebee, burying his heavy fist into the chest of the nearest Insectoid. Within the snarling beast Cyborg's cybernetic arm extended, revealing his Sonic Cannon, which fired it's trademark sonic blast out the back of the Insectoid.

With a strangled cry the Insectoid went limp and with a whip of his arm Cyborg flung the lifeless creature off his hand and toward another Insectoid, blowing both out of existence with another blast of his Sonic Cannon. Assessing his situation with a quick glance Cyborg fired a wave of destruction across the battlefield, breaking up the ranks of the Insectoids with his sonic assault. It was at this time that Beastboy went in to the finish the job, but before the quick-witted changeling could morph into any of the millions of creatures that encompassed his genetic makeup, a shrilled cry stopped him cold.

The Insectoids heard the pained cry as well, but were unable to evade as a human bowling ball crashed into the, scattering them like pins on the lane.

"Terra!" squealed the olive green boy and he was quick to run to he aid, scooping her up in his arms as she lay in the dirt, "Are you alright?" he asked

"Gotta stop he he's gonna..." she began, but was cut off by the bellow of another, deeper voice

"**_Finally! The time has come! I am complete!_**"

* * *

I hate writer's block. But enjoy this and stay tuned for the next.


	27. The Shroud of Shadows

Enjoy this chapter: The Shroud of Shadows

* * *

"Alright, alright, move along everyone, nothing to see here." the leader of Disposal Unit 4 informed, "And don't touch any of the contaminated material." he instructed, referring to the strange dark substance that littered the ground

There wasn't much debate over the evacuation of the area. Even though the new detour irritated some of the busy drivers, nobody really wanted to run over whatever was covering the streets. Thus the citizens of the city obeyed the orders of the disposal unit leader and quickly left the area to give the disposal workers room to do their job. With special containment suits designed to insulate them from their environment the workers showed no fear when dealing with the remains of the creatures the Titans had dealt with earlier.

"Okay, time to clean this stuff up." the leader replied, "I don't want any of this stuff left around. We still don't know what it is." he ordered, supervising the clean up

"Man, and I thought after the first time we wouldn't have to deal with this stuff anymore." Muttered one of the workers, "This is almost as bad as cleaning up after Plasmas."

The disposal units of the city had been worked overtime ever since the large-scale attack on the city the day before and had yet to clean up everything. The addition of more remains had only added to their workload. Hopefully the Titans had stopped whatever was the cause of these attacks so that the workers could finish their cleaning in peace.

"I know I know. But look on the bright side, this is probably as bad as it's gonna get." replied another worker nearby, "I mean, how much worst could it get?"

**_RRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR!!_**

"What in the world was that?"

The ground began to rumbled, growing with intensity with every passing second. As the disposal workers to turned in the direction the rumbling came from their bodies went rigid and their eyes went wide as they discovered the source of the problem.

"Run…RUN!" yelled the leader of Disposal Unit 4

With the yell breaking them from their trance the disposal workers turned on their heels and ran as fast as their legs could carry them. They made a mad dash toward their truck and jumped in as a large dark creature closed in on them. The leader jumped behind the wheel and stepped on the gas, the wheels squealing to life as the pulled the vehicle forward.

The windows shook violently, cars were overturned, and streetlights were crushed under the weight of the titanic beast slithering its way down the road. The great demon beast Yauo had been awaken to his full power and was now showing off his tremendous strength by crushing anything that stood in his way. The disposal workers only barely got of the way of the destructive creature, turning sharply down an adjacent road before it could crush them. But even so the speed at which the creature moved caused the truck to pop into the air and spin upside-down. Had it not been for the timely assist of a certain redhead and her amazing physical prowess the occupants would have certainly met their end as smears on the road.

"Are you injured?" she asked, her voice laced with concern

"N-no." replied the leader, whose tight grip on the wheel was painstakingly obvious

"I am relieved." Replied the alien hero, floating down and placing the truck safely on the ground

A short thanks was given to the amber-skinned girl before the truck peeled away for a safer location, leaving the female Titan to her lonesome.

"Robin!" she called into her communicator, flipping it open and allowing the view screen to flip to Robin's frequency, "I have located Yauo, he is moving down the Fifth of the York Street." she replied

Translating her odd choice of words Robin deduced that the despicable creature was moving down Fifth and York and if he intervened at the right time Robin and the gaggle of superheroes with him would be able to cut the creature off. It was a good thing that Cyborg had installed an autopilot into the T-Car so they didn't have to get back to the city on foot. But even so Yauo was surprisingly fast for such a large creature. Luckily he left a bit of destruction in his wake for the Titans to follow.

"Cyborg." he called, to the cybernetic Titan in the driver's seat

"Already on it." he replied, anticipating Robin's line of thought and turning down a road that would intervene with Yauo

As he did a sea of mangled cars came into view, a small piece of the Night King's handy work.

"Could you hurry it up Sparky?" asked a voice from behind, clearly irritated

"You know, I could have just left you back there." he replied, his own irritation coming to light, "Not my fault you're too tired to fly."

"Shut it spark plug." she barked, "I'm not in the mood."

"Whatever." he muttered, pressing harder on the pedal

The two boys, Speedy and Aqualad, that were sitting on either side of the striped fighter scooted as close to the windows as they could, knowing of their leader's legendary temper. They did _not_ want to be on the receiving end should Bumblebee attempt to alleviate her anger.

"Mas y Menos." Robin called into his communicator, eliciting a response from the Siamese brothers moments later

"Si?" called Mas, wondering what the call was for

"Have you spotted Yauo?" He asked

"Si." he replied, "Seguimos rápidamente atrás. Pero el monstruo es muy rápidamente verdaderamente." he replied, stating that the brothers were following right behind but that Yauo was incredibly fast, even for their standards

"Well I know that's a yes." Robin replied, understanding at least a little Spanish, "Just keep following and don't let him know you're there." he replied

"Si." replied Mas, and with that the communicator went blank

With the Titans systematically converging on Yauo, even the terrible demon's speed would not be enough to throw them off the chase and hopefully they would be able to stop him before any real damage was done.

"I was hoping we could stop him before he fused." Robin muttered, growling slightly

"No point in getting all upset about it." replied Cyborg, making a sharp turn down Fourth, "What's done is done. All we can do is stop the guy...even if he's huge and mean and strong and fast. Did I mention huge?"

"You did." replied Robin, "But you're right, that doesn't change things. He's going down like any other villain." He said, before once again turning to his communicator, "Raven, come in."

"What?" she replied, voice even, undisturbed

"Have you guys found Ifrit?" he asked

"No. In the chaos of Yauo's fusion she took off and I lost sight of her. Also she can block my abilities so I can't sense her." she replied, weaving through buildings with the help of her powers

"Great." he murmured, his irritation only growing

Ifrit was a sneaky…well…thing, and not knowing what she could be doing at any particular moment was a troublesome thought for the masked leader.

"Well, just keep searching." he replied, not knowing what else to say but feeling the need to give an order

"As you say oh great leader."

She didn't get a rise out of her masked leader with that jab, but then again she wasn't expecting one. Just the redundancy of the order had gotten to her and she thought that Robin deserved a small blow to his ego. With a click her communicator was off and Raven focused her attention back onto the situation at hand. Beside her a fierce determination was set on the face of a dark green raven as it flew through the sky, its wings beating steadily as it flew across the city. On his left blond hair whipped violently through the air as the bearer of that hair flew atop a boulder commanded by her own will, the earth mover Terra. Toward his right flew the hooded figure known as Raven, her expression deadpan as she kept up with both the strange colored bird and blond geomancer effortlessly.

"This is…all my fault." Terra thought, "Couldn't stop him."

"We won't lose this." Replied Raven

A bewildered looked crossed Terra's face, prompting her to turn towards the empath.

"What?" Terra asked

"Like I said, we won't lose this." she repeated, "No matter what happens, we will win."

"Why so optimistic?" Terra asked, "Not like you."

"I suppose you're right." she replied, "But then again, things change." she replied, "People change."

Terra's eyes widened only slightly, but the significance of the event was no less a phenomenal impact on her.

"Things change. She's changed." She thought, referring to Raven, "He's changed." she thought, her eyes moving toward the green raven flying nearby, "But have I?" she wondered

The answer to the question escaped her and she would have no time to ponder it as the group came up upon the destruction left in Yauo's wake.

"Safe to say he went this way." remarked Raven

"But where's he heading?" Terra asked

"Guess we'll find out sooner or later." replied Raven, "For now we need to focus on finding his little stooge."

Meanwhile, said stooge was currently high above Raven and the others, sitting atop a winged Insectoid as it buzzed through the sky. A malicious look was seated upon her face, a small chuckle escaping every so often.

"Finally, my master is complete." she thought, her grinning only growing in size as the thoughts of success washed over her, "After all those years, trapped by that cursed mirror's power. He, and in a sense, I are free."

Her sense of accomplishment though slowly drained away as she dwelled over her situation more carefully.

"However, those Titans are still a threat, even to my master. Along with the fact that I have yet to acquire Beastboy." she murmured, "He will undoubtedly go against my master and most certainly meet his end. I must find him and convert him before that time." she said, "Faster." she commanded

By her will the Insectoid she rode increased in speed, buzzing its way rapidly across the city's sky.

* * *

The destructive beast slithered rapidly through the city, but it didn't take him long to discover that he was being followed. Craning his neck he turned and noticed a red and white blur disappear behind an office building. A chuckle escaped his lips before turned his attention back toward his objective and took off.

"_Whew._" breathed two brothers in a sigh of relief

"Se parece a nosotros no ha sido marcado." replied Mas, happy that it seemed like the two hadn't been spotted

"Yo no estoy tan seguro acerca de ese hermano." Menos replied, not so sure about that

"Usted preocupa demasiado. El no nos vio." Mas assured, believing that his brother was worrying too much and that in no way could they have been spotted, they were too fast for that

Or so they thought. Unknown to the speedy duo the Night King had sent a telepathic message to his most loyal servant to intercept the fast brothers and deal with them post haste. With speed that few could match the brothers took off again, ducking behind cars every so often in order to keep from being spotted by the large creature. But with their minds so entirely focused on following Yauo without being caught they were ill prepared for the intrusion on another enemy. Had it not been for Menos noticing a strange buzzing sound the duo might have taken the full brunt of the psychic wave directed toward them.

"¡La mirada de Mas fuera!" yelled Menos, pushing his brother away just as the wave smashed into the street

Thanks to Menos' quick thinking the brothers were able to evade most of the damage, pushing his brother away in the nick of time. However, because of the speed they had been going, coupled with the force of the psychic blow sent their way, the brothers flew farther apart than Menos had calculated. And before either could think of running back to the other a large Insectoid descended upon then, cutting them off from one another.

"I seem to have missed." pouted the rider of the large Insectoid as it landed, its wings folding into its shell, "Oh well, not all is lost, you two are separated at the least." she replied, knowing full well that their powers only worked when they were in physical contact

The brothers simply looked at their foe, their fists clenched as their muscles tightened, knowing that the only chance they had was to get together. Without a moments notice they dashed off, running toward one another with all the speed their bodies would give them while separated. Unfortunately Ifrit was no slouch and was quick to stop them.

A pair of large claws slammed into the street in between them, effectively cutting them off from one another and forcing them to retreat.

"No, no, no." Ifrit replied, wagging a finger at the brothers, "Do not think I will give you the chance of combining." she said, "Now then, which one of them would you like to _eat?_" she asked, referring to her ride

The large Insectoid seemed to be in deep thought over the question, its gaze traveling between the two brothers with genuine interest. After some time it finally settled on Menos, a black tongue slithering across its lips anxiously.

If he wasn't a superhero Menos would have wet himself when he saw the look that the Insectoid was giving him, imagining that the creature had to be seeing him as a steak just sitting there waiting to be eaten.

"The negative one it is then." Ifrit laughed, "Have at him while I deal with his brother." she replied, hopping off

With barely a nod the large Insectoid ambled over to Menos, who was slowly backing away, ready to make a break for it at a moment's notice. Meanwhile Mas stood his ground as Ifrit approached him, a surprisingly light smile across her face.

"To be truthful I am not one for torture." she replied, raising her hand to him, "So I will make this as painless as possible." she replied, gathering energy, "Maybe we will meet in the afterlife one day." she replied, coming to completion of her attack, "Farewell."

Although, before she could finish off the positive half of the Mas y Menos team she was interrupted by a loud screech and turned to see an odd sight. Atop her personal ride rode Menos, desperately trying to hang onto the dark creature. Before Ifrit could fathom how Menos had managed to climb aboard her ride she was blindsided by a small body. The sudden jolt had caused her to lose focus of the energy in her palm, the rampant energy shooting off into a nearby building. The blast obliterated the initial glass window as well as a good portion of the inside of the building.

Ifrit hit her head as she landed, but her attacker hadn't gotten off scout free as he had overshot his tackle and ended up losing his balance and falling with her, eventually ending up on top of her. Fortunately for Mas something soft broke his fall. Unfortunately for Mas something _soft_ broke his fall. Slowly Ifrit recovered from her daze and looked at the body crumpled atop of her and then she noticed the position of the body crumpled atop of her.

If Mas weren't a superhero he would have wet himself after seeing the look that Ifrit was giving him, the evil djinn going red in the face despite her shadowy complexion.

"Mami." he gulped

If looks could kill Mas would already be six feet under, while on fire. He backed away as quickly as possible but the sheer ferocity of the glare that Ifrit was giving him stayed with him nonetheless. She slowly rose to her feet, partly because she was still recovering from her blow to the head, but mostly because she still couldn't believe just what Mas had mistakenly done.

"You…" she growled, her hand shaking slightly

It was at this time that Menos had managed to cause the large Insectoid to crash into a lamppost, dazing it temporarily.

"You…" she growled, her shaking hand clenching into a fist

Hopping off the menacing creature Menos ran over to his brother, happy that he was okay.

"You…" she growled, energy glowing vividly in her clenched fist

Menos swore he could feel the unparalleled hate radiating off of the shadow djinn and wondered just what Mas could have down.

"You!" she roared, her fangs elongating to dangerous levels

Menos indeed wondered what Mas had done to make the woman so livid, but at the moment he didn't want to be shredded by the beastly woman and hastily took off, Mas in tow.

"_I'll kill you!_" she bellowed, as she chased after the two atop her Insectoid ride, surprisingly keeping up with them

* * *

Jump Financial Center, a large banking firm in the central area of Jump City. As the name might suggest this building handled all financial exchanges in and out of Jump City. While not an actual bank, the work done here was invaluable to the financial security of the city, thus meaning a lot of work had to be done. For this reason the building was very tall, topping off at 1286 ft. (almost 400m), the tallest building in Jump City.

Within this tall building people worked tirelessly, their tedious lives wasting away within the skyscraper. So entrapped in their work they did not notice a black shadow climb quickly and nearly silently up the building, a small shudder of the windows the only indication that something passed by.

It was not until a thunderous roared filled the sky did the occupants of the skyscraper wonder what was going on. Those on the top floors stared in bewilderment as they saw something large and black encircle the building, not unlike a snake constricting its prey.

Meanwhile, at the very top, sat the rest of the demonic shadow, looking toward the sky with a wide grin streaking across his face.

"**_This structure will be sufficient. Now then, to shadow this world._**"

Within the confines of the shadow being's 'crown' small pores slowly emerged, releasing a strange gaseous substance from deep within the Night King's head. The strange substance rose slowly into the sky, creeping its way toward the clouds.

"What is he doing?" asked Cyborg, looking from afar at Yauo and his strange behavior

"Well he did say he wanted to cast the world in shadows." Replied Speedy, "Guess that's how he plans on doing it."

"Not for long." replied Robin, "Titans!" he called into his communicator

"We know." replied the first to reply, that being Raven, "We can see it from here."

"Whoa." murmured Terra, staring up at the strange sight

"My words exactly." Raven replied, "Let's go."

"**_Get back here so that I may maim you!_**" Raven heard someone shout

Her head immediately went down to see the sight of Mas y Menos running for all they were worth while being chased by Ifrit atop a large Insectoid, yelling a color selection of death threats at the brothers.

"Ifrit." Raven muttered, her eyes narrowing at the witch, "Stop Yauo, I'll help Mas y Menos." she replied

"You sure?" Terra asked

"I'll be fine."

"Okay then."

Raven began her descent rather abruptly, drastically increasing in speed to catch up with Ifrit and the super-fast brothers.

"Let's go Beastboy." Terra called, ascending toward Yauo

With a nod Beastboy quickly followed after, though not with sparing one last glance at Raven as she closed in on Ifrit. He just hoped she didn't push it.

* * *

The soft jingle of an ice cream cart caught the ear of a young girl happily playing in the park. Her eyes brightened at the prospect of the obtaining the sugary treat and she turned to run toward her mother who was quietly sitting on a park bench reading a book.

"Mommy, mommy, mommy?"

"Yes hon?"

"Can I have some ice cream?"

"Well…I suppose so." she replied, "But only one, you don't want to ruin your appetite."

"Thanks mommy!"

"Sir, could we have an ice cream please?"

"Why sure." he replied happily, "What flavor."

"Vanilla!" squealed the young girl

"Okay then, one vanilla cone coming right up."

It only took seconds for the vendor to make the vanilla ice cream cone but for the anxious little girl it couldn't have come quicker.

"Here ya go." the vendor replied, handing the ice cream to the little girl

"What do you say?" her mother asked

"Thank you mister for the ice cream."

"My pleasure."

Turning from the man the girl was fully prepared to enjoy each and every ounce of the vanilla flavored ice cream, but before she could she noticed something odd off in the distance.

"Mommy?"

"Yes dear." replied the mother, returning to her book

"What's that?"

"What's what dear?"

"That?" replied the girl, pointing

Following her child's finger the woman's calm demeanor turned a 180 as stared off in disbelief at the strange occurrence in the sky.

"What in the…"

Ink black clouds flowed ominously in the sky, creeping across the heavens slowly, but with purpose. They seemed to swallow up everything else that hung in the sky. Even the sunlight was not safe from the strange black-greenish clouds.

"Is a storm coming?" asked a park-goer, followed by the murmurings of others nearby

But it didn't seem like it, especially since nobody had seen clouds quite like the ones that flooded the sky, casting the world below in an eerie darkness. Concerned with the strange turn do whether many of the park-goers decided to head home, hoping that whatever was going to happen would pass soon. Or at the very least they wouldn't be caught in whatever was about to befall them. But even the safety of their homes would not be enough to ward off the evil that was sweeping over the city.

"**_This city will the first of many to fall and before long the world will be shrouded._**" replied a dark being as dark spewed from the back of his head

"You are mistaken dark being." came a voice

Turning to the voice the Night King came face to face with a red-haired, green eyed, alien female. The glare upon her face was unwavering, filled with a righteous fury that flowed into her hands and gave her power, expressed by the green glow in her palms.

"**_Really?_**" replied Yauo, a grin running across his face, "**_Will you be the one to correct me?_**" he asked

"If I must." she replied

"**_Heh, heh. I like you attitude._**" he replied, "**_Such resolution in the face of such overwhelming odds. It will be very enjoyable crushing that resolve._**" he told her, "**_Very well then, come with it._**"

"Hey, don't forget about us!" yelled a voice before a large boulder zoomed past Starfire toward Yauo

Yauo was quick on the uptake however and caught the boulder in his immense paws before it could do any damage, crushing the offending rock with little effort.

"**_You again earth-mover, have you not learned from your previous defeat?_**"

"Heh, guess not." she replied, "But try and teach me."

"**_As rock-headed as the boulders you command._**" he murmured, "**_And the green one is here too? That's makes this battle three against one. A horribly uneven match-up...for you._**"

* * *

"Well, we're hear." replied Cyborg, stopping the T-Car in front of Jump Financial Center

"But how do we get up?" questioned Speedy as he and the others piled out of the T-Car

"Simple, the stairs." replied Aqualad

"Perfect."

"Come on, let's get a move on." Bumblebee injected, "The faster we get started the quicker it will be over."

"She's right, let's go Titans." Robin ordered, leading the way into the building

But making it inside the building wasn't as easy as the Titans had hoped. Many people were still scrambling out of the tall building, creating a huge crowd around the doors.

"Hey! Move out the way, official Titans business over here!" yelled Cyborg, trying to push his way through without accidentally hurting anyone

"Ouch, watch it!" yelled Bumblebee, "Who stepped on my foot!"

"Perfect, just _perfect_." muttered Speedy

_Meanwhile..._

"Move out of the way so that I may rip them limb from limb!" barked Ifrit

"I'm not sure what you two did but it obviously wasn't a smart idea." replied Raven, standing between Ifrit and the brothers Mas y Menos

Menos turned to give his brother a look and Mas involuntarily gulped.

"¡Guárdenos señora escalofriante!" Mas begged, hoping that the creepy girl in front of them would save them from a horrible fate

"I said _move!_"

"Don't count on it."

"Very well, this is even better. I'll just go through you as well Raven! Get them!" she ordered, and on her commanded the large creature she rode atop of sprint toward Raven and the brothers

_Skreeeeaaaaaaaaaaaah!!_

* * *

_THE TOP OF JUMP FINANCIAL..._

"Raaaaaaaaaaah!" roared the Starbolt fling Tameranian as she pelted the Night King with her powers

The bright balls of energy raked the hide of the Night King, but proved to be little more than an annoyance to the much larger creature. As powerful as they were the Starbolts lacked the necessary kick needed to cause any real damage to the scaly hide of Yauo. But Starfire was not alone in her valiant fight against the dark creature for a small green sparrow was just about to make its presence known. It flitted about rapidly through the spines that lined the back of the demon, soon reaching the top of the creature's spiky head. In a split second the sparrow became a much larger creature, an allosaurus, digging its large hind-leg claws into the top of Yauo's head before pushing off toward the creature's 'crown'. Rows of brilliant teeth were revealed as the green dinosaur opened its mouth, preparing to dig into the flesh of the demonic shadow.

"**_Pointless._**"

_SHING!_

Beastboy did his best to stop himself, scraping his feet against the ground to stop his momentum, only just avoiding being impaled by a large spike that had pierced through Yauo's hide. He had no time to rest though, for more spikes readily made their way through Yauo's skin, causing the shape-shifter to scramble madly to avoid becoming Swiss cheese. Eventually the grand dinosaur became a falcon and rose as high as it wings would take it, trying to get out of the general vicinity of the shadow demon.

Yauo reached up to grab at the retreating bird of prey, but was impeded by a shower of stones. While not doing anything in the line of hurting the large creature, they did halt his attempt at catching the green falcon.

"**_Come, give me more of a fight, that cannot be all that you possess!_**" barked the demon, itching for battle

"Then is shall be brought!" yelled Starfire, jetting toward the demon with fist clenched

A large claw came hurtling towards her, but the nimble alien dodged and pushed on. A second claw came her way, but by then she was close enough, flashing a few Starbolts into the face of the Night King, stopping his attack. Explosions dotted Yauo's face, but the vile creature was not fazed.

"**_Do you really think..._**" he began, but had no time to finish as Starfire tore through the smoke created by her blasts and launched her fist forward

_POW!!_

Yauo's head reeled as the monstrous punch hit its mark. But the massive hit had acted as a double-edged sword as pain rippled though Starfire's arm. Starfire stifled a cry and watched Yauo carefully, hoping she had caused some sort of damage to the large creature. This fight was far from over but she could at least hope that she had hurt Yauo.

"**_...grrr..._**"

A breath that Starfire had not known she was holding escaped her lips, seeing the pained look on Yauo's face. But her relief soon faded as another look replaced the one of pain.

"**_Heh, heh, heh. Impressive._**" he chortled, "**_I have almost forgotten what pain like this felt like, trapped within that accursed mirror for all eternity._**" he said, "**_This battle...I will enjoy it._**" he said, his maniacal only growin

_THE LOBBY OF JUMP FINANCIAL..._

"Whew, finally got in." replied Speedy

"About time." muttered Bumblebee, "Now we got to get up there."

"Why don't we try the elevators."

"No can do Speedy." replied Cyborg, squirming his way through the crowd, "Yauo's weight has thrown off the balance of the building and the emergency locks on the elevators have kicked in, they're not working."

"What?"

"They're designed should the structural integrity of the building becomes compromised. And a giant serpent-like demon coiled around it certainly constitutes as weakening the structural integrity."

Speedy sighed dejectedly.

"Come on Speedy, we got some stairs to climb." Cyborg told him, shoving him toward the stairs

A short jog later the Titans had made it to the stairs, looking up the long staircase that would take them to the roof of the building.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Bumblebee said, her mouth agape as she stared up the seemingly endless amount of stairs

"Like I said, _perfect_."

_2143 steps later..._

"This could not get any worst." muttered Speedy, hiking behind Robin and Cyborg, with Bumblebee and Aqualad following behind

_BOOM!!_

"What was that?"

* * *

This is where I will be leaving off for this chapter. This chapter isn't much but a precursor to the next, which will introduce some fun new battle scenes. See ya.


	28. New Friends, New Powers, Old Problems

Here comes the long awaited (for me anyway) battle of giants. Be prepared for a full out city-destroying, kaiju battling, and doomsday foretelling brawl-fest.

* * *

"What was that!?"

That was the question that came from the mouth of the leader of the Titans after hearing thunderous explosion from high above.

"Let's go." Replied Cyborg, kicking over a nearby door and running on the current floor the group was on

"Where are you going?" Robin asked

"See if I can get a better look from one of the windows!" he called to Robin as he raced toward the large panel windows

Sprinting past office cubicles and printing machines Cyborg made it to the windows, but just as he reached then he saw something that put a horrified expression on his face.

"Star!?" he gasped, watching as the alien girl fell pass him, body encased with green flames

Window panes flashed pass as Starfire fell, but seconds later one of those panes exploded into a brilliant display of shattered glass as a sonic blast ripped through it, followed by a large mechanical connected to a steel cable. The mechanical hand chased after the falling alien and latched on, high above the city streets. But the sudden stop caused Starfire to swing into a window, slamming into it and cracking it on impact, as well as putting out the fire that enveloped her body. The sudden jolt awoke the semi-conscious alien, her eyes fluttering open as she noticed something latched on her leg.

"Huh…?"

Meanwhile, a few floors up a mechanical man wiped his human brow in relief and went to the task of slowly reeling in his redheaded catch. As the mechanism in his arm kicked in Robin made his way over and a gasp instantly escaped his mouth when he saw Starfire's predicament.

"Star!"

"Don't worry Rob." Cyborg replied, "I got her and I ain't about to drop her."

"You're a lifesaver."

"Don't I know it."

It only took a few moments to pulled Starfire into the safety of the building, laying her cautiously across the floor while Cyborg reattached his hand.

"Hey Star, you okay?" Robin asked, a hand gently placed on her cheek

"Robin?" she murmured as he figure came into view, "What happened?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." He replied

That's when it hit her and moments later, Robin. As the memories of the past few seconds hit her she shot up right. The problem was that Robin was kneeling over her so as she shot up her head became a living projectile and slammed into the head of her masked leader. Since she was made of much tougher stuff than a normal person she barely felt the smack of heads. Robin on the other hand was not so lucky.

"Well, people always say you're a knockout." Replied a voice from behind, prompting Starfire to turn to the voice

"Bumblebee?"

"Why don't you tell us what's going on while we try to rouse leader-boy from dreamland?"

Starfire was still rather confused at all that was going on and Bumblebee's comment had only made things worst, until she looked down and noticed a rather dazed Robin.

"Oh my, Robin! Have I injured you?"

"…err…no, I'm okay Star." Replied Robin, getting to his feet, "…oww…" he murmured, his hand making its way to his forehead to rub the sore spot

"I apologize Robin. I did not mean to knock your loop." She replied, standing on her own two feet, albeit with a little help from Bumblebee

"…uh…it's okay Star." He replied, waving it off as nothing, "But what happened to you and what's going on up there?"

"Terra and Beastboy!" she gasped, "They are still doing battle with that despicable creature atop his structure!" she replied, "We must hurry and aid them!" she exclaimed, but as she tried to take to the air she stumbled and ended up landing on her knees

"Yeah, we must hurry and help them." Replied Cyborg, "No offense Star but you look a mess and don't look like you're ready to get right back into battle."

"No, I am okay." She replied, once again taking to air, and this time succeeding at staying afloat, though not with some trouble, "Moreover, I do not have the luxury to rest. We must stop that beast."

"You know, you can learn a thing or two from that girl." Cyborg commented, his attention Bumblebee

"Fine…" Bumblebee sighed, "Don't want to be accused being lazy." She said, her wings shooting out to her sides, "Somebody need a ride?"

Moments later a gaggle of individuals shot out of a broken window and slowly began to ascend the large structure that was Jump Financial. Gripped firmly in her left hand Starfire held Robin, while in her right Cyborg was latched on. Meanwhile Speedy and Aqualad were busily hanging onto Bumblebee as she pulled them up.

"Are you sure this is safe?" asked Aqualad, his hand wrapped around the hand of Bumblebee

"No, not really." Replied the buzz bomber

"Well could you not wobble around so much?" Speedy asked, irritated slightly at this mode of transport

"I could drop you, you know. I don't usually have to carry two people at a time, especially when I'm not at full strength." She replied, "So if I were you I'd just keep my mouth shut and enjoy the free ride." She told him, "Unless you enjoy meeting up with the concrete from great heights."

"Meh." Speedy grunted, but said nothing further, for he wasn't sure if his leader was kidding or not

"I do hope our friends are uninjured. That creature is quite powerful."

"Me too Star." Robin included, as the group passed by Yauo's mid-section

Even though they had seen much of the large creature when it rose from the murky depths of the dark pool, seeing the true length of Yauo's actual body, outside its prison, was quite the sight.

"Un-be-liev-able." Cyborg stated, staring at the gargantuan beast

"And we have to fight that thing?" Speedy questioned

A window cracked, then caved in as Yauo's hold on the building increased and the Titans could only fathom that the battle taking place above, was growing more intense by the second. They zipped past spines and rose ever higher, but just before they could reach the top of the towering building a wave of green flames washed over the top followed by a pained scream.

"Terra!" cried Starfire and with a sudden boost of speed she cleared the top of the building, as well as Yauo's body to bear witness to the aftermath of the devastating wave of flames

"**_So you're here. Good, I hope you prove a better fight then she._**" Said the dark being

At this the Titans turned to see Terra fall to her knees, consciousness a fleeting notion as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Charred earth and green flames fell about her as she hit the ground, a stifled grunt the last sound she uttered before her world went dark.

"**_Or he._**" Replied Yauo, raising his massive paw to reveal an unconscious Beastboy, before flinging said changeling high into the air

"Beastboy!" cried Starfire and without a second thought the alien female used her strength to throw Robin and Cyborg onto the roof of the large tower before pumping power into her veins to fly after the soaring Beastboy

"**_Heh, two with a single strike._**" Chuckled Yauo, as flames began to collect in his gullet, "**_Perish!_**" he roared, unleashing a massive ball of emerald flames

"Starfire, look out!" Robin tried to yell to her, but Starfire was already out of earshot

It didn't take long for gravity to take hold of Beastboy's flailing body, but by then Starfire had already caught up. And though her muscles ached she managed to get a firm grip on the changeling and stop him from falling to his doom.

"Whew." She sighed in relief, "It is good I caught you unconscious friend or you would have certain become a green stain on the road." She told him

Unfortunately she was so focused on making sure that her shape-shifting friend was all right that she didn't notice the large ball of flames closing in on her until it was too late. An intense heat crept up her back, provoking her to turn to discover what the cause was.

"Huh?" she wondered as she and Beastboy were engulfed

**_BOOM!!_**

"Star, BB!" Cyborg shouted as he lost sight of his friends in the massive explosion

"Cyborg, are they…" Robin began, but as he did a massive paw took a swipe at him, though he and Cyborg managed to dodge

"**_You should be less concerned about them and more for yourselves._**" Yauo told them, ready to swipe at them again, that was until a volley of explosive arrows smashed into his face, startling the large creature and forcing him to back away

"And _you_ should take your own advice!" yelled Speedy, who had just jumped from Bumblebee's grip to fire his arrows

"Bumblebee, get Terra and get her to safety!" Robin ordered, pulling a handful of Electro-disks from his belt, "Cyborg, what about Starfire and Beastboy!" he hastily inquired, throwing the explosive devices at Yauo

Cyborg was already on it as he ran from Yauo, who growled in slight pain as the Electro-disks struck his face and raked it with explosions. Zooming in on the smoke cloud created by the exploding ball of flames Cyborg managed to make out his comrades, who were sent spiraling in the direction of Titans Tower.

"I'm getting life signs." He replied, running over to Robin, "I just hope that the crash landing doesn't take them out though."

"Me too, but right now we have to regroup." Robin told him, "Can you make a door?" he asked, the leader's gaze traveling toward the his feet

"No prob." he replied, bringing his massive fist back

With little effort Cyborg managed to bust a decent size hole into the roof of the building, the debris falling into the floor below.

"Everyone, we're making a tactical retreat!" yelled Robin

"We're running?" Speedy asked, launching another volley of arrows at Yauo

"We don't have a choice." Replied Aqualad, "Come on." He told him, making a break for it

Speedy gave little protest as even he could see they were not ready to take on Yauo at the moment. Robin hopped down first, followed by Bumblebee who had Terra draped over her shoulder. They were quickly followed by Aqualad and finally Speedy just as Yauo recovered and lunged for them mouth open to devour them.

"Eat this big guy!" yelled Cyborg, compartments opening up in his body to reveal arsenal of rockets, which fired from the robotic man's body and straight toward Yauo's awaiting jaws

Another series of explosion went off within Yauo's mouth, followed by a much large one as a small fireball that Yauo was prepare went off prematurely, causing pain to ripple down the demon's throat.

"**_Grraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!_**" he cried in pain, his head lurching to the side as smoke billowed from his mouth

The massive creature nearly lost his balance on the building, but managed to steady himself by gripping his body tighter around the tower, effectively caving in a few more windows.

_At Titans Tower…_

A green comet hurtled toward the home of the Titans, carrying with it one unconscious shape-shifter and one semi-conscious alien. Managing to stay conscious, even after taking a large fireball dead on, Starfire braced for impact as she and Beastboy closed in on the bottom of the tower.

_KER-BLAM!!_

The back wall of the bottom most room gave way as Starfire and Beastboy plowed through it, the Tameranian losing her grip on her friend as she hit the cushioned floor. Both bounced for a couple of feet before finally coming to rest a few feet from the main doors of the tower.

"Beast…boy?" murmured Starfire, trying to rise to her feet

However her strength had left her and she only managed to get to one knee before her body gave out. If she had not had her arms out before hand she would have certainly hit the floor again.

"This is no good." She thought, straining to rise, "My power has left me. But fortunately my body was able to withstand the impact of both the large ball of flames and the crash." She thought with some relief, "Beastboy." She called again, hoping she could rouse him

"…oh…" she heard coming from his direction, and could only hope he had heard her

"Are you uninjured?" she asked, before realizing what she said

There was no chance that Beastboy was unhurt after what he had been through.

"Can you stand friend?" she asked

"…uh…mmm…" he murmured

"Please awake Beastboy."

"…just five more minutes…"

"BEASTBOY!" she roared

"Waahhhhh!!" he cried, springing up at the startling noise, "Oww, oww, oww, oww, oww." He muttered, feeling a wave of pain wash over him, "Dude, what hit me, a bus?"

"No, the tower." Replied Starfire, managing to get to her feet

"Huh, wha?" he wondered, looking around and just realizing that he and Starfire were back at the tower, "When we'd get here?"

"As you would say, the story is quite lengthy."

"…oh…the last thing I remember was being smashed by that Yauo guy. He sure can hit hard." He replied, "Well, he is pretty big and when you're that big it's a given that you can hit hard."

"Come friend, we must rejoin the battle and…" she began, but as she took a step forward her body gave out on her again and she looked as if she would topple over, stumbling a few feet

Luckily Beastboy was there in a flash and managed to keep her up before she could hit the ground.

"Man Star, you look a mess." He replied, trying to help her up

"Cyborg made a comment like that as well."

"Well he wasn't fibbing. You can't fight like this."

"Yes, I know." She replied, "But I also know I haven't much of a choice." She replied, "We must help our friends. They are locked in combat with that vicious beast."

"We need more help." Beastboy commented, "I don't think even with the Titans East here that we can handle this." He replied

"But nobody would arrive in time."

"Well, there is somebody we could ask."

* * *

"Get downstairs now!" Robin yelled

"Oh come on, we just ran up the stairs now we gotta run back down!?" Speedy complained

"Oh come on." Bumblebee grunted, grabbing hold of Speedy and dragging him down a flight of stairs, "And help me with her." she said as they disappeared down toward the next floor

"So, got a plan?" Cyborg asked Robin, looking up the hole he made to see if he could spot Yauo

"Not at the moment. Just give me a minute."

"We might not have a minute." replied Cyborg

"Why ya say that?"

"**_Curse you titans, I swear I will devour you all!_**" yelled a certain demon, his voice booming

"Meh, just a lucky guess."

"Let's go." Robin advised, following after Cyborg as they ran toward the stairs

Just as the duo made it to the stairs a large dark paw slammed through the roof, sending debris everywhere as it vigorously searched the room for the Titans.

"This is getting out of hand." Robin thought, "We need to pull together or we're finished." he thought as he descended the stairs

_At the tower..._

"Friend Beastboy, I do not want to question your sanity but, have you lost the marbles!"

"Raven tells me that all the time." replied the shape shifter

"She may be correct in her assumption." replied Starfire, still dubious of her friend's plan, "Are you positive this plan will succeed?" she asked

"No, not really. But what choice do we have? 'Cause if you have a plan I'd be happy to hear it."

"As Cyborg would say, my mind is illustrating blankly." she replied, sighing at her inability to come up with a solid battle plan, "I do hope this 'plan' of yours turns out well." she told him

"You and me both Star." he replied as the elevator doors slide open to reveal the lowest level of the tower, the storage basement

A low growl reverberated across the room as Starfire and Beastboy stepped into the room. The green changeling held up his weakened alien friend as the made the small trek over to the source of the growling. A pair of red eyes shined in the dim light, until the lighting system kicked in and illuminated the darkened room. Everything from the T-Ship to high-tech weaponry and other assorted items littered the room, each stored away in their own unique way. And in the middle of the room was the dread dragon Malchior, bound by titanium and magic and at the moment very angry looking.

"What do you want!" barked the dragon, but it did little more than startle the two Titans

They quickly regained their composure and returned the dragon's steely-eyed glare with glares of their own.

"Mean dragon that pained friend Raven, we have a proposition to ask of you." replied Starfire

"What information could you possibly want that I have not already given you?" he asked, clearly annoyed with their presence and most likely their existence

"Truth to be told, we are not quite sure of this ourselves. It would seem ill-advised of us to even think of asking this of you but we have run out of choices and unless we do something our friends will surely perish and..." she said

"Get on with it!"

"We wish to ask you to join us in our valiant battle to destroy the demon Yauo and save our city and potentially the world from his evil influences." she explained quickly

At this rapid exclamation Malchior simply raised and eyebrow and remained silent, as if horribly confused by what Starfire had told him. Then suddenly...

"Bwhaaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" chortled the dragon

Despite the binds over his mouth the dragon laughed a heart-felt laugh at the proposal given to him. The laugh was so loud and intense it echoed the room and sounded even louder than it really was.

"And...ha ha ha...you are really...ha ha...serious?" he asked between laughs

"I do not see what is so humorous. What I have said is completely true." Starfire told him

"Oh, this is too much." he snickered, trying his best to hold back his laughter, "To think the very Titans who captured me now need my assistance in order to be victorious." he chuckled, "This is truly amusing. The sheer irony is overwhelming!"

"Look dude, are you gonna help or not?" Beastboy asked, feeling slightly left out

After all, it was _his _idea in the first place and yet Starfire seemed to have taken full rein of the situation.

"Why should I?" he asked, finally calming down to a reasonable level, "I have no need to help you Titans."

"We could leave you down here to rot." Beastboy told him

"So be it." replied Malchior, "I couldn't care less."

Beastboy growled in obvious irritation over Malchior's stubbornness to cooperate.

"Come Beastboy, this mean dragon will not aid us." Starfire said

"Yeah I guess you're right." Beastboy sighed, "Yeah, you may be right but that still doesn't help us." he thought, knowing that their last hope was gone...or was it

At that moment a past thought made its way to Beastboy as he remembered something Malchior had said earlier.

_"I may be the dread dragon Malchior, I may have done things that are not exactly honorable, but know this false dragon, when I see someone as my ally I take that in great account."_

A plan hatched in the green head of the shape shifter. It was a crazy plan that had only the slimmest hope of succeeding, but it was still an awesome plan (in Beastboy's mind) and it was just crazy enough to work.

"Yeah Star, let's go." Beastboy replied, "Not like he _could_ help us anyway. He doesn't know _how_ to help others. Especially people trying to help him."

"What did you say?" Malchior growled

"You heard me." replied Beastboy, keeping his tone in check, "No wonder you don't have any friends."

"I have friends." growled Malchior, louder this time, "I had...had friends." he corrected

"Had? What happened?"

"Simple, they died."

"So?"

"Huh?"

"Just 'cause they're dead doesn't stop them from being your friends. Unless they really weren't."

"Do not stand there and think you know anything about me!" Malchior barked, "You know nothing!"

"Maybe. But I do know that a friend is a friend no matter what." Beastboy replied, "But you, you know nothing about that."

"YOU! MY FRIENDS WERE KILLED BY THE LIKES OF YOU HUMANS!" roared Malchior, "THEY WERE BETRAYED AND IT COST THEM THEIR LIVES! I HAVE NO FRIENDS BECAUSE OF THAT!"

"Not true." replied Beastboy

"What could you mean!? WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY MEAN!?"

"Easy. I'll be your friend."

"AND ANOTHER THING...wait, what?"

"I'll be your friend." the green elf repeated, his face ablaze with a smile

"Do you take me for a fool? Do you really think offering to become my...friend, will earn you my trust?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Is something wrong with you?"

"No, but people ask me that all the time."

"I...this is...odd..." Malchior mumbled

"Hey, I'll even sweeten the deal. Star will be your friend too."

"Hmm?"

"What?!" shrieked Starfire, "Friend Beastboy I do not want..." she tried to say, but was silenced by a hand over her mouth, complements of Beastboy

"Yeah."

"Are you positive?" Malchior asked

"Yeah I am. This is just how she acts when she makes new friends." he replied as Starfire tried in vain to break Beastboy's grip

"Well...I..." Malchior mumbled, until a wave of anger washed over him, "What am I thinking? Leave, I do not need to sit here and listen to you insult my intelligence."

"Hey, we're not insulting anything! Right Star?" he asked, removing his hand from her mouth

The alien female looked up and stared at her green friend, a perplexed look on her face. Behind the smile she saw the desperation on his face and she knew that the next few seconds would be the deciding factor of this 'plan' that Beastboy had concocted.

"He...he is right." she replied, past grievances put behind her as she donned a warm smile, "Though you have done wrong to us in the past I would be honored to become your friend." she said, "As Robin says: Everyone deserves a second chance."

The eyebrow of the dread dragon rose yet again as he stared at the two Titans, looking for anything that might show their true intentions. Though honestly the dark dragon could find no ill will among the two. This left Malchior with two possible explanations: they were either being sincere or they were completely out of their minds. Even though he thought the latter Malchior decided to go with the former.

"So...you Titans need my assistance?" he asked, calmy, his focus shifted from them "I suppose this demon is incredibly strong to be causing you problems."

"Yeah...so you'll help?" Beastboy asked

"Will I be free?" he asked

"Yeah, we'll take off those binds and unlock ya and everything." Beastboy replied

"No, I meant. Will I be free permanently? When this is over, you Titans must not try to capture me again." he replied, "I wish to be free to roam the planet at my own leisure."

Beastboy looked at Starfire and vica versa. Beastboy knew that he was already skating on thin ice by even thinking of letting Malchior free to help, but letting him be free fully, that was another story. He knew Robin would have a fit if he knew, but Beastboy's hands were tied. The Titans needed his help.

"Yes." replied the alien in his grip, "If you assist us and promise to act honorably, we the Titans will not pursue you any longer."

A quiet sigh escaped Malchior's mouth as he closed his eyes in deep thought. Many ideas swirled about his mind as he contemplated the offer he was given. He really did not want to needlessly put himself in harms way, but then again he didn't have much of a choice. Whether he liked it or not the Titans were the only people around that could possibly stop Yauo and if they fell it would only be a matter of time before Yauo himself found the dread dragon and dealt with him. So swallowing his pride Malchior opened his eyes and told the two Titans...

"Very well. On my word as a dragon, I will assist you in battle my...friends."

"Sweet!" cheered Beastboy, nearly dropping Starfire in his delight

"I suppose we should free mean friend Malchior now." replied Starfire

"Yeah...uh...do you know how?" he asked, "You know, Cyborg designed those locks and I don't exactly know how to open them."

"You do not know...I do not know either."

Malchior grunted at that. This was beginning to turn out great.

"Well, I guess we just press random and colorful buttons until we find the right one." replied Beastboy, walking over to the lock that held Malchior's jaw, "Now let's see, which one should I press?"

"Friend Beastboy, I do not believe that simply pressing a random button will..."

"Oh, this one!" he exclaimed, pushing a rather overly large red button

_Clink! Clock! Clunk!_

As several locks disengaged the metallic bindings around Malchior jaw disconnected, folding neatly into place on either side of the dread dragon's head. Synchronizing with the initial signal the other locks that bound the dark dragon disengaged, releasing the different body parts they held down. From wings to tail to razor sharp claws the dragon that had once been tied down was free once more.

"YES! FINALLY! I AM FREE ONCE MORE!" he roared, filling the tower with his joyous bellow

"Man you're loud." Beastboy complained, "Well you're out, let's get going."

"Yes. But first, I must deal with you." Malchior, reaching for the two Titans

His hand came quick and without warning, giving neither of the weary Titans time to evade. Beastboy couldn't believe that Malchior could have lied like that and felt horrible that that Starfire would be punished as well for his foolishness. Or so he thought...

"Is something the matter?" Malchior asked

Believing her end would be coming all to soon Starfire had closed her eyes and awaited. But when no painful impact came she slowly opened one eye to see a very large claw hovering in front of her forehead.

"Uh..." she murmured, sharing a very confused expression with Beastboy, "You do not wish to betray us and destroy us?" she asked

"What possibly gave you that idea?" Malchior asked, "I may not like you all that completely, but I am a dragon of my word." he replied, "Now relax. If you are to aid me in combating this demon these injuries must disappear." he told her, before a small ball of light appeared at the tip of his claw

At first Starfire could fathom what the purpose of the ball of light was, until she felt an amazing rush of energy flow through her body.

"Whoa..." murmured Beastboy, slowing backing away from Starfire

The injuries that covered her body disappeared and her torn and tarnished clothing seemed to mend itself. Even her messed and mangled hair was once again restored to its luxurious nature. Then, as quickly as she felt the rush of energy it was gone and she was left standing as she was, completely restored to her former glory.

"Oh my." she murmured, "I feel...incredible!" she cheered, jumping up and down in pure ecstasy

"Well, now that that is accomplished, let us go."

"Hey, how come I don't get the magic-glowing-claw-thing-that-makes-me-better!?" Beastboy whined

"Foolish green one, why would I possibly give my rival something he does not need?" Malchior replied, "If you have the ability to defeat me then you are more than powerful enough to go on fighting. Now then, let us go."

"Rival?" Beastboy wondered, "Malchior and me?"

"Hold new not as mean friend Malchior. You have done more than simply heal my injuries. You have done something more. I can feel it." Starfire questioned

"Heh, heh. So you have noticed. I must say I am impressed you discovered it so quickly." he replied

"What have you done?" she asked

"You were not able to defeat that demon creature at your full power, so I have given you a way to combat him on a much more even battlefield." he replied

"But what is that exactly?" she asked

"You will discover that soon. Though it will be up to you as to how you use it. But for now, we have work to accomplish before we do battle with Yauo."

"Huh? Like what?" Beastboy asked

* * *

"Things are not going well for me." thought a certain dark djinn

The evil witch known as Ifrit had her back against a wall and it looked like she was all but defeat. While immortal her vulnerability to harm was still a part of her and thus she was weakening considerably, especially with both Raven and Mas y Menos battling her. Raven was hard enough to fight on her own, and the speedy brothers only complicated things. Her Insectoid ride laid in a heap on the ground, crushed beyond recognition by her opponents' attacks and she herself was not in the best of shape. As much as she despised Raven and wanted to bring harm to the brothers it would only be foolhardy to keep battling. Even the prideful djinn knew when she was beat.

"Well, it seems I will have to use it now." she thought, reaching into her large hat

The brothers and Raven stood a few feet away, waiting for whatever Ifrit was going to throw at them next. But as the witch revealed what she had up her hat, Raven's eyes went wide in shock.

"That book!"

"Yes. I have been saving it for quite some time after that dragon was freed from it." replied Ifrit, "I never believed I would need to use it but I thought I would keep it around, in the event that I would be cornered. I am glad I did." she said, "It contains a myriad of spells to the trained eye. Including several for escape."

"Mas y Menos, stop her now!" Raven yelled, and with a nod they were off, their super-speed closing the gap between them and Ifrit quickly

But they were not quite quick enough as Ifrit had quickly read the necessary spell and meddled into the ground, just as the brothers passed by.

"¿Qué?" they wondered, flabbergasted by Ifrit's amazing disappearing act

"Great, this is just perfect. She got away, _again_." Raven muttered

But there was not time to dwell on that fact. Raven had to help the others. She could sense that not all was well, especially with the sheer amount of darkness that had spread across the sky. To any other person it would simply have looked like a storm had blown in. A storm comprised of green-ish black clouds of course, but a storm nonetheless. Though another factor might tip someone off that the storm that had been created was not exactly normal. For example, the green lightning that flashed across the sky.

"So that's how he plans on darkening the world." Raven surmised, "I didn't think he had the power to do it himself, even with all the bragging he did." she thought, "He plans on casting the world in darkness by affecting the weather. All he needs to do is make this storm big enough and the rest will follow."

"Tormenta de la muerte." replied the brothers, feeling the evil coming from the dark clouds

Vaguely they translated the events happening in the sky in two words: Death Storm.

"Come on, we have to finish this." Raven replied

The brothers nodded and raced off toward Yauo with Raven right behind.

_At Jump Financial..._

"Yo, Terra, wakey wakey."

"Huh...mmm...wha..."

"I think she's coming to."

"Thank you captain obvious."

"Hey!"

"Where am I?" asked the geomancer called Terra

"I'd say the 236th floor or so." replied Bumblebee

"Man, last thing I remember was a lot green and a lot of fire." Terra replied, "Where's Yauo?"

"Up there." replied Bumblebee, her thumb pointing straight up, "Probably really pissed at us right about now. Here, up you go."

With a hand Terra was too her feet, doing her best to wake the rest of herself up and prepare for battle. Though there wasn't much she could do at the moment.

"I'm too high off the ground." she replied, "If Yauo wasn't so high up I could bury him."

"Don't worry about. None of us are much better off. It's gonna take something big to bring that thing down."

"Well whatever that big thing is it better hurry cause we need to take Yauo down and soon." Cyborg interjected

"How come Sparky?"

"You know that dark stuff he's sending into the air. It's affecting the weather. Check out the storm he's making."

"Yeah?" she replied, looking to toward the darkness that enveloped the sky, "Weird clouds and freaky lightning. Other than the sheer craziness of it, what's the problem."

"If this storm gets any bigger it'll be too strong to be stopped. And it'll continue to spread. At this rate it could cover most of the state by tomorrow."

"Could things get any worst?" Speedy questioned

As if on cue a chorus of screeches could be heard from the upper floors, a familiar chorus of screeches.

"You, stop talking." Bumblebee said

"Titans, get ready." ordered Robin, two birdarangs firmly in hand as a horde of Insectoids swarmed their location

They came from the stairs. They came piling out of the elevator shaft. They tore their way through the very ceiling, surrounding their Titan foes with the single intent of ripping them asunder. Luckily for the Titans help would come in the form of a large vehicle. Seeing it in the corner of his eye Robin reacted accordingly, shifting his stance to break into a run.

"Titans, move!" he yelled

There was no hesitation on the part of the other Titans as they lunged out of the way of the bus that plowed through a nearby window and crashed into a large group of the approaching. As the dark energy encasing the flying vehicle dissipated, Robin turned to thank the thrower of the large-scale vehicle.

"Thanks Raven." he replied, a thumbs-up to his teammate

"No problem." she replied as she floated in, "Seems things have gotten more complicated, huh?"

"No kidding." he replied, "Where are Mas y Menos?" he asked, but his question was soon answered in the form of a red and white blur stopping right in front of him

"¡A la derecha aquí!" they replied, announcing their arriving rapidly

"Hey guys." he replied

Raven's eyes scanned the room and quickly noticed that two Titans were currently missing.

"Where are Starfire and Beastboy?" she asked

"Not sure." Robin replied, his mask hanging low, "They haven't called in yet and the last time any of us saw them was when they were blasted across the city." he told her

"If either one of them were really hurt the would have given us some type of signal by now. They're fine."

"I know, but still..."

"You guys miss us already?" Robin heard, reaching for his communicator

"Speak of the devil." murmured Raven

"Beastboy. You okay?"

"A little sore but nothing I can't handle."

"Where's Star?" Robin asked

"She's on her way. I bet you'll be seeing her any second now. Said something about evening the score with Yauo."

"Wait, what about you? Where are you headed?" he asked, before he noticed something else amiss, "What's that sound in the background?" he asked, swearing he heard the sound of beating wings, knowing full well it couldn't be Beastboy making the noise, "What's going on? I want answers now!" Robin ordered, his leadership role in full swing

"Er...uh...what was that..._chaaaa..._you're breaking..._chaaa..._up...talk with you..._chaaa_...later." he said, making a poor imitation of static on his end before he switched his communicator off

"Well, he's not hiding _anything_." Raven commented

"No time worry about that now." Robin replied, noticing that the Insectoids were beginning to regroup, "Titans, we're moving out." he replied

"Where?" Aqualad asked

"There." replied Robin, pointing to a nearby building, "Everybody on the bus, now!"

There was a unanimous agreement among the Titans and without question they piled into the aforementioned bus, fighting back Insectoids that tried to swarm them.

"Everybody's in!" Cyborg called out, being the last of the Titans to board the bus, his sonic blasts deterring any Insectoid that tried to board the vehicle

"Alright then, hang on. This will be bumpy." Raven replied, "Azerath Metrion Zinthoss." she spoke and once again the bus was engulfed in dark energy

Insectoids lunged for the retreating bus, only to miss and crash into one another as the vehicle flew out the hole it made and soared through sky. It eventually landed on the top of a nearby building, the dark energy retreating back to its source soon after landing. As the doors opened the Titans pored out, looking slightly dazed.

"She wasn't kidding about it being bumpy." Speedy groaned as he climbed out

While not as tall as Jump Financial the building the Titans were currently one was still tall enough for them to observe Yauo from a safe distance. Besides, it would take a blind monkey not to see the large, imposing demon curled around the building. Or the large green comet streaking toward said demon.

"Well, Star's back. And seems no worst for wear." Cyborg commented

"Now I know something is going on." Robin replied, "Beastboy is up to something."

"Well whatever it is it doesn't seem to be anything stupid."

"For once." Raven added

"Yeah, you can drill the little lima bean later."

_Meanwhile, at the top of Jump Financial..._

"**_Perfect, everything is going perfect. Hmm?_**" wondered Yauo, turning around to come face-to-face with a previously defeated opponent, "**_You again? You Titans are persistent. No wonder Trigon was defeated. If I am to end this I must completely annihilate you._**"

"You are welcomed to attempt." Starfire quipped

"**_Oh, I will do more than that, I assure you!_**" he barked, flames lines his lips, "**_Burn!_**" he roared, unleashing a torrent of flames toward Starfire

The wave of destruction and heat came wide and fast, giving Starfire no time to evade. The only option left to her was to brace for impact and hope she could take the blast. Starfire was engulfed in instant, for all too see, including the Titans.

"Starfire!" Robin cried out as he lost sight of her amid the green flames

After what seemed like forever for the Titans, Yauo eventually ceased his attack and waited for the charred remains of Starfire to fall to the ground. However, what he actually saw shocked and confused him.

"**_What!?_**" he bellowed

Starfire expected a lot of heat, but felt nothing for a long time. Cracking open an eye she saw that she had not been overcome with flames. Strangely enough she had been protected by a strange aura. A green sphere encircled her and it seemed that this green sphere was what had protected her from Yauo's fierce attack.

"This is...very strange." she replied, looking around at the sphere that had protected her, "Did I do this?" she wondered

The sphere was green and did mimic her starbolt powers to some extent. But she was still not quite sure, until she remembered something from earlier.

_"You were not able to defeat that demon creature at your full power, so I have given you a way to combat him on a much more even battlefield." _

_"But what is that exactly?" _

_"You will discover that soon. Though it will be up to you as to how you use it."_

"Is this what he meant?" she wondered, as the sphere disappeared

"**_What is this!?_**" roared Yauo, "**_You did not have this power in our battle before hand or you would have used it then! Where did you acquire this ability!?_**" he demanded

"I gained this ability from my new not as mean as before friend!" she yelled back

"**_You will tell me who this 'friend' is so that I may smite them!_**"

"I will do no such thing!"

"**_Very well then. I will simply destroy you and then fine this friend and destroy them as well!_**" he barked, brandishing his claws and unleashing a fireball toward Starfire

The nimble alien dodge and sped toward Yauo, though she was not sure what she could do to actually hurt the titanic beast.

"I wonder..." she murmured, concentrating

Starbolt energy began to accumulate in her fist until it eventually formed into a translucent sphere of green energy. A dark claw came barreling down on her, though she managed to evade the blow and homed in on Yauo's face, pulling her fist back. Yauo had no worries, for as powerful as she was, fighting him dead-on would only cause her more damage then him. Or, it would have.

_KER-POW!_

Like before, Yauo's head reeled, but even more so than Starfire's previous attempt at punching him.

"**_This power!_**" he thought, his head snapping back "**_Where did she get it!_**"

Furthermore there was no recoil from the monstrous punch delivered by Starfire.

"This ability." she thought, her fist aglow with her new power, "To believe he would give me such power like this. Thank you my not quite as mean as before new friend Malchior."

Yauo managed to keep himself steady, though the blow he had received had done a number on him.

"**_You!_**" he growled, his claws raking against the roof of the building in pure contempt for the flying alien, "**_No more games, you die, now!_**"

"As Beastboy would say: Bring it on."

* * *

Hope you like this chapter because I enjoyed writing it, though not as much as I will enjoy writing the next.


	29. Show Me Your Power!

Thanks to those who have reviewed. This chapter will be a battle heavy chapter as well as a prelude to the end of the story. Hope all my readers have enjoyed.

* * *

_Ker-pow!_

Two powerhouses collided with fierce resolve atop the roof of Jump Financial. One of these titans was an age old demon bent on casting the planet Earth in darkness. The other was a female alien bent on _protecting_ the Earth from the likes of the demon. With a new power granted to her by an unlikely friend the Titan known as Starfire was now able to go toe-to-toe with the evil personification of darkness, the Night King Yauo.

"**_This… this foe…_** " Muttered the Night King, slowly recovering from yet another blow given to him by Starfire, "**_I could actually be defeated at this rate._**" He thought

A fury filled growled slipped from his lips as he glared at Starfire, his towering form masking her far smaller figure. But it was this very trait that put him at such a disadvantage. Starfire's stature was much too nimble for the enormous Yauo and while having brute strength that far exceeded her own, it meant nothing if he could not lay a claw on her. His corrupt flame breath had also been rendered useless due to her newest ability, an ability he had yet to overcome. To further disadvantage him; now that Starfire could land a blow without the worry of recoil there was no more holding back for the alien princess who was using every ounce of strength she possessed to pummel Yauo.

"**_I cannot let myself be defeated by such a foe. I will succeed at my goal and this creature will not stop me!_**" he said, "**_If I could only lay a claw on her, this battle would be over in an instant._**"

His thoughts were cut short however as Starfire charged once more, fist drawn back to deliver yet another punch upon Yauo's scaly hide. But even though she fought with fearless resolve, not all was well with the Tameranian. While pain did not shoot through her arms like in her previous scuffle with the demon, her muscles still ached every time her glowing fist collided with the dense hide of Yauo. The creature was large and there was no denying that, even with her immense physical strength, punching such a large creature was a little more than her body could handle. Starfire knew that she could not go on like this forever such a titanic creature had to have more stamina than she did. If she was going to defeat Yauo she would need to land a decisive blow. But at the moment she didn't have anything in mind to do such a thing, leaving her with only one choice, pounding the living stuffing out of the dark demon.

"I do hope that Malchior and Beastboy hurry with their task. I do not know how much longer I can go on like this." She thought

Starfire's punch came fast, but Yauo was expecting the direct charge and pulled back surprisingly fast, letting Starfire overshoot her attack. She was left wide open and Yauo took it upon himself to punish her for her lack of judgment and swiped at her. But Starfire was quick at recovering and managed to pull away before Yauo's immense claw could smash her. He went to swipe at her again, hoping to a least drive her back, but before he could a flurry of attacks stopped him. From sonic blasts to arrows to bolts of dark and light energy Yauo was overwhelmed and backed away from his Starbolt-shooting opponent. The demon's gaze quickly turned to the source of the attacks, his head snapping over to the adjacent building were the rest of the Titans stood, seemingly finished from launching a barrage of different attacks at Yauo.

"**_Them._**" He growled, his anger fueling the corrupt flames in his throat

But before he could unleash his fury on the interrupting Titans he heard a battle cry and turned, though far too late to stop the advancing Starfire as she laid a solid blow to the demon's head.

_Ker-blam!_

Yauo steeled himself against the blow and did not reel back as far as he had previously, though the attack still hurt and hindered him for a couple of moments. Starfire would have followed up with another devastating punch, but even his time of momentary daze, the dark creature managed to wave his left arm about his body, as if swatting away an insect. Starfire could not risk flying in closer lest she be blindside by a wayward strike and reluctantly backed away. Meanwhile, on the adjacent building…

"Well, looks like we at least gave Star an opening at least." Replied Cyborg, his arm humming lowly as it charged for another blast

"Yeah, but where'd she get that power?" Speedy commented, his bow drawn back as he readied another three arrows, "Sure she didn't have it before."

"Don't know, but I'm sure Beastboy's the reason behind it." Robin replied

"If it isn't one thing it's another with that kid." Bumblebee remarked, "It's like he's a beacon for craziness or something."

"More like stupidity, but that works too." Replied Raven

"Maybe, but if I didn't know better I'd swear he could make the impossible possible."

"Not likely."

* * *

A large dark flying lizard soared through the skies on the outskirts of the city, his wings beating evenly through the air. Sitting snuggly on the back of his neck was a green hair, green skinned boy, doing his best to hold onto the dark dragon.

"You know, you should come with seatbelts." Replied Beastboy, "Or a saddle."

"Quiet green one. You should count yourself lucky I am even allowing you to ride on my back. I should throw you off this very moment and let you fly yourself."

"But then I wouldn't be able to tell you where the hole is at."

"Do not take me for a fool. I could find it on my own. You would need to be some sort of imbecile not to notice a large hole in the ground."

"You just passed it."

"And another thing… what?"

"You just passed it." Repeated Beastboy

Malchior turned his head to see that he had indeed passed the large gaping hole in the ground that was once the sight of Yauo's dark pool. Out of the corner of his eye he also noticed a rather smug look on Beastboy's face.

"Stop smiling you." He growled as he turned back around

He landed near the edge moments later, his large claws digging into the earth.

"Well Malchior, looks like we're here and it's all thanks to my awesome sense of direction."

Malchior growled angrily at that but soon his anger turned to mischief as Beastboy attempted to hop off his back. With nothing more than a slight shrug of his shoulders Malchior managed to throw the changeling off balance. So instead of landing on his feet as he attempted Beastboy instead ended up landing on his rump, hard.

"Ow! That hurt!" yelled Beastboy, his bottom filled with pain, "You did that on purpose!" he yelled, pointing accusingly at Malchior

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Replied the dragon, though it was obvious by the look on the dragon's face that Malchior had enjoyed that

This time it was Beastboy's turn to growl, but before he could offer the dragon a piece of his mind Malchior made his way down the hole.

"So what are you looking for?" Beastboy asked, rising and following Malchior down the hole

"Should it not be obvious?" he asked

"Well… uh… "

"That was a rhetorical question."

"Oh… but still, what are you looking for?"

"Arrgh… " He sighed, feeling as if he were talking to a boulder, "The demon's previous dwelling."

"I'm pretty sure that Yauo didn't have a house."

"That is not what I mean." Malchior replied, "Much like myself that demon was sealed away in something that kept him bound, separate from this world. For me it was that accursed book, so for that demon…"

"It was the mirror!" Beastboy answered, feeling quite proud of his accomplishment

"Hmm, seems as if you are not as dimwitted as I had thought."

"You sound like Raven."

"Raven." He murmured and it was obvious to Beastboy that Malchior still had resentment toward the dark sorceress

"Uh…yeah, so what do you need the mirror for anyway?" he asked, trying to turn the conversation away from the violet-haired girl, "It's broken you know."

"No matter." He replied, "There is still much that can be done with it."

"Like what?"

"You will see soon." He replied, reaching the bottom of the hole, "Now where could it be?" he wondered, looking about, "Ah, here it is." He replied, reaching toward a small dark pool

"Ewwww! You're gonna stick your claws in there!?" exclaimed Beastboy, visibly blanching at the sight of the pool

"Yes." Malchior replied as if it were general knowledge, "The mirror is located at the bottom of this pool."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me, I know."

"Okay then."

Malchior continued his trek into the dark pool, his claws disappearing within the strange substance. As he searched around for the mirror though a sharp pain ran though his claws and he quickly pulled back. As the remnants of the dark ooze slipped from his claws Malchior saw what had caused him pain. It had seemed that a lone Insectoid had latched onto his claws, trying vainly to dig its teeth into his hide.

"You!" he growled at the creature, flames licking at his lips, "That is your final mistake!" he growled, unleashing his fury on the Insectoid

Hardly a screeched passed its lips before the wayward Insectoid was incinerated. As the flames died down there was nothing left of the creature but of a few charred remains, which littered the ground. The creature may have been destroyed but the flames in Malchior's mouth had yet to subside as he turned his attention to the dark pool. Not trusting that that Insectoid was the only one still hiding away Malchior launching torrent of flames toward the dark pool, setting the strange ooze ablaze with his dragon might. Beastboy quickly backed away as the pool lit up, the flames dancing about like they had a mind of their own.

"Dude! Watch it! You almost singed me!"

"That would be a shame." He replied, his voice ever so laced with sarcasm

In response Beastboy blew a raspberry at the large dragon and for a moment Malchior looked shocked. Not because of the raspberry personally, but because of Beastboy's response to the comment. To think he had been beaten by someone so immature.

"You are such a child."

"Yeah, well you're such a… uh… uh… dragon!" Beastboy shot back

"My, what a comeback."

Malchior was once again greeted with a raspberry. Seeing as this exchange was only wasting time Malchior turned back to the burning pool and launched another stream of flames at it, hoping to burn it quicker. He could hear the cries of a few Insectoids, but those cries died out almost as quickly as they had come out. A full minute passed before the pool finally burned out and the flames dissipated, leaving scarred earth and a ghastly mirror frame in its wake. Littered about the frame were several pieces of broken glass and the sight of them dropped Beastboy's spirits slightly. After all, the entire reason that Yauo was out and about was because of him.

"Perfect, everything is here." Malchior replied, reaching for the frame

As he picked it up dirt and charred ooze trickled down from it, settling on the ground.

"Well you found it. But like I said, it's broken."

"That does not serve as a problem for me." He replied, and with that he snapped his fingers

The moment he did so the mirror fragments that littered the ground rose up and quickly reassembled in mid-air before implanting themselves into the mirror frame.

"How…how did you do that?" Beastboy asked, caught between being impressed and stupefied

"Magic my friend." Malchior replied

"Great answer." Beastboy replied, obviously not accepting of the answer

"Now then, enough time has been wasted. Let us go." Replied Malchior, spreading his wings

"Hey, wait up!" yelled Beastboy, jumping and latching onto Malchior's free claw

"Release my claw! Fly yourself!" barked Malchior, trying to shake Beastboy free

"I can't keep up with you!" Beastboy told him, turning into a humming bird and flitting his way up to Malchior's back, "So you'll just have to carry me back."

"You!" Malchior growled, but quickly let go of his anger, seeing it as useless, "Very well." He replied and took to the skies

* * *

A mighty emerald flame rushed from the gullet of the Night King on a collision course with Starfire, ready to incinerate her in an instant. But the alien girl was ready and brought up her new energy barrier, the green sphere encompassing her and protecting her from harm. Well, the harm of the flames anyway. As the flames died down Starfire looked up to see a large dark form hurtling towards her. There was no time to dodge the blow as the large mass smashed into her barrier with tremendous force. The sheer blunt trauma was more than the barrier could take and it collapsed, the large dark mass slamming into her soon after. Luckily for her the barrier had taken much of the blow so instead of taking a huge slam from the dark mass she was instead swatted away, though not without sending her flying back into a building about a few blocks away. Yauo would have chuckled at swatting away the annoying Tameranian but he didn't get the chance as he was once again bombarded by an assortment of different attacks.

"**_You Titans!_**" he growled, unleashing his pent up fury in a blaze of green flames

But Starfire wasn't the only one with a barrier, as Raven threw her own up, the dark shield deflecting the green flames away effortlessly.

"**_Just one annoyance after the other._**" He replied, "**_Very well then, time to take the fight to them._**"

The titanic beast slithered his body further up the building until his entire body was sitting atop Jump Financial. The building creaked and groaned but held against his phenomenal weight. Luckily the structure would not have to deal with that weight much longer.

"What is he doing?" Speedy wondered

Mas y Menos shrugged their shoulders, just as confused as their bow-wielding teammate. Robin's eyes narrow as he studied Yauo's posture, the beast bending its spine back and placing its large paws atop the building. But it was not until a devilish smile appeared on his face did Robin realize what Yauo intended to do.

"Titans, move!" he yelled, but it was too late

With a little boost from his arms Yauo leapt at the Titans, his huge body sailing through the air toward them. They wouldn't have gotten off the roof in time, but luckily they were saved by an amber-skinned ally. With a might battle cry Starfire drove her glowing fist into the side of Yauo's head, impeding his attack on the Titans as well as knocking him away. But even so, only his head was deflected. The rest of his body continued to careen toward the building, though horribly off target. Instead of landing on the roof of the building, his body smashed into the floor three floors down from the roof. Knowing full well he was going to fall he grabbed hold of the roof, his claw digging deep into it.

"Raaaah!" he heard someone yell, and then he felt a horrible pain run though his claws, which made him release his grip on the roof and plummet to the street below

"That's for trying to jump at us." Replied Cyborg, cracking his robotic knuckles

Yauo was in the air for about three seconds before he hit the street, _hard_, his back taking the initial hit before his head connected with the ground. As the rest of his body toppled down the demon muttered a pained groan. He had no time to suffer however as he heard yet another yell. Looking up he saw Starfire barreling down on him, hoping to capitalize on his fall. But Yauo was not totally out of it and launched a fireball up at Starfire. She managed to block the blow, but was sent soaring as Yauo smashed his fist into her barrier.

"**_… grrr… err…_** " groaned the mammoth demon, slowly rolling over onto his belly

It was at this time that Yauo realize just how vulnerable he really was. The fall had done far more damage than it should have and it could only be blamed upon his battle with the Titans.

"**_These damnable Titans and their interference._**" He growled, slowly slithering down the street, "**_They are nothing but flies to me, yet they are quite the nuisance. Though it is the red-haired Titan that is giving me the most trouble._**" He replied, "**_My battle with her must end. Though how will I go about it?_**" He wondered, until he noticed the other Titans descend to the street a few blocks away, "**_Heh, heh, heh. Her comrades. They are her weakness._**" He chortled, slithering his way behind a nearby building

The flying alien known as Starfire had already regained her composure in the air and was shaking the last bit of confusion from her head. Even with her barrier up Yauo could sure hit hard.

"Oh... " she moaned, "I cannot let myself be hit like _that_ again." She murmured, "Now where is my foe?"

Focusing her eyesight down she noticed a wisp of Yauo's tail disappear behind a nearby building, toppling a nearby car as it whipped about erratically.

"There."

With a lurch Starfire sped towards the building, Starbolts blazing in her hands. She knew even with her new abilities that her Starbolts still didn't pack the necessary punch to truly hurt Yauo. However the confusion created by the exploding balls of light would do the necessary job of distracting the demon while she delivered the coup' de gra.

As she descended though she noticed the ground begin to shake, this caused her to sport a look of confusion as she homed in on Yauo. Or so she thought. By the time she rounded the side of the building Yauo was gone and all that was left was a large gaping hole in the ground. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure that the demon had taken to tunneling underground. But this new event did elicit a question or two.

"What is he planning?" she wondered, "He cannot be escaping, no… something else is a foot."

The rumbling had yet to subside but it was beginning to diminish, which could only mean that Yauo was on the move. And while Starfire didn't have the ability to sense or track Yauo underneath the street, she did have the ability to gauge where he might end up and the result of that terrified her as she realized just where he was going.

"No." she uttered before pushing with all she had down the street

_Meanwhile, down the street…_

"Yeah, he left a nice size dent in the street." Replied Bumblebee, looking at the devastation caused by Yauo's fall, "But he still got up and slithered off."

"And we have to still fight him." Speedy chimed in

"I can't wait until this is over." Aqualad commented

"Hey, Star's coming." Cyborg commented, noticing the female dart down the street, her hands waving erratically

"Friend's! Move!"

Surprising though Robin's attention on the other hand was not on the alien princess zooming over to them, but on Terra who was staring intently at the ground.

"What's wrong?" He asked

That's when the geomancer's eyes grow fearfully wide and at that moment Robin knew something was wrong.

"Titan's move!" he yelled, just as the ground began to shake violently

The group of heroes tried to move; they truly did, but only managed to get a few feet away before something exploded from the ground, sending pieces of street and parked cars through the air. The Titans were sent spiraling from one another in semi-circle around the demon that had exploded from the ground. All but one though.

"This is not my day!" yelled Bumblebee, as Yauo's gaping mouth opened and closed in on her

Starfire's amazing mid-air speed had gotten her over to Bumblebee in the nick of time, but she would not be able to move herself and Bumblebee out of the way fast enough. Thus she was left with only one course of action. With enough force to move an bus Starfire threw her hands forward, shoving Bumblebee clean out of the way of the approaching oral cavity and out of harm's way.

_CHOMP!_

"STAR!!"

The Titans watched in horrific anguish as Yauo swallowed the green-eyed alien in one large gulp. A small lump being the last they saw of her before she disappeared down Yauo's throat.

"**_Eeewwyeck!_**" he blanched, his long tongue hanging out of his mouth in disgust, "**_She tasted putrid._**" He gagged; shaking his head as if too rid his mouth of the offending taste

"_You…_" came a growl from below

The large dark demon turned to the source of the sound, that of Robin. The disgusted frown on his face replaced with a look of wicked satisfaction. The Titan stood below him seething, his rage blazing with malice intent.

"**_Well, well. That deals with one problem._**" he said the seething Titans, "**_Who would like to be next? I am sure you Titans would love to join you rancid tasting friend._**" he replied

"**_Yauo you..._**" roared Robin, ready to unleash hell upon the demon

But before he could strain his vocal cords with a vicious verbal assault his communicator went off. Hastily he grabbed it, ready to bark at who had called him, but was surprised to see who was on the other end.

"Starfire?"

"Oh, I am fortunate that a signal was able to penetrate through." replied the voice on the other end, "Is friend Bumblebee okay?"

"Ye… yeah." replied the boy wonder, confusion evident in his speech, "But what about you?"

"The inside of this creature is quite disgusting. Though now I have discovered what Cyborg's breakfast must feel like." she replied, half-jokingly, "I am most fortunate that Yauo does not believe in the chewing."

"**_So she is still not down?_**" growled the Titanic beast, "**_A nuisance in and out of the body. No matter. It'll only be a matter of time. And as for you... _**" he said, raising his behemoth paw

The Titans lunged for cover as Yauo's claw came crashing down, crushing the pavement under it's impressive might.

"**_Get back here Titans!_**"

* * *

Starfire's trip through the digestive system of the gargantuan demon was not a pleasant one to say the least. The powerful muscles within his gullet and subsequent stomach were a tiring trip all its own. An assortment of noxious and foul smelling liquids covered her body as well as gagging her, being that there was little air within Yauo's stomach. But the powerful alien remained diligent as she was force down, trying her best to get out.

"This is sickening." she gagged, clenching her fist in anger, "But I will escape!" she barked, starbolts glowing radiantly in her hands

The green balls of energy illuminated the dark interior of Yauo's stomach area. Soon the darkness was assaulted with flashes of green as Starfire attempted to blast her way out, but to no avail. With a dissatisfied grunt Starfire's eyes glowed brilliantly green and before long emerald eye beams danced across Yauo's belly. Yet the dangerous jade beams fared no better at hurting the demon than her starbolts.

"Oh, this is no use." she murmured, "But if I do not hurry and free myself... " she thought, looking down toward her skirt

The eyes of the alien princess widened as she watched the powerful stomach acids within Yauo slowly eat away at the fabric of her uniform.

"... I will certainly share the fate of many a past meal."

Vainly she tried to punch her way out, but unlike the hard exoskeleton-like armor that Yauo wore on the outside, the soft insides of Yauo absorbed much of the force that Starfire unleashed. Coupled with the fact that she didn't have much room to move around only add to Starfire's misfortune.

"Oh... " she moaned dejectedly, "Starbolts will not work nor does brute strength. What am I to do?"

_Back outside..._

"Azerath Metrion Zinthoss!" cried Raven, her powers taking hold of numerous cars and fling them pointedly at Yauo

The gas-guzzling vehicles smashed into Yauo's face, the windows shattering on impact, the metal crunching with a sickening sound until the fuel tanks were comprised, resulting in a nice sized fireball to be unleashed as they exploded. An intense wave of heat rushed passed the dark sorceress, her cloak billowing slightly as a result, the warmth tickling her skin. A column of smoke arose as the fire slowly died down, masking the demon from view. Raven stood patiently, waiting for any sort of counterstrike from the large demon.

"**_... grr... _**" she heard

Raven's eyes narrowed at the sound, her powers flowing about her. Seconds later the Night King tore through the smoke, his mouth open with his claws brandished, heading straight toward the empath. She looked unfazed at his approached and simply melded into the ground before his claw to slash her. The Night King only ended up hitting air and would have roared in frustration had it not been for a beam of sound particles smashing into him. A sharp yelp of surprised escaped from Yauo as he had not seen the blast coming. But soon that surprise turned to anger and with the roar of green flames Yauo showed his disdain toward a certain half-metal man.

"**_You will burn away into nothingness._**" he growled at Cyborg

"Bring it." Cyborg replied, his sonic cannon humming vibrantly

With a flick of his neck the dark demon unleashed his corrupted flames toward the cybernetic Titan, a large ball of flames rushing toward him with the intent of destroying him completely. But Cyborg was not daunted by the approaching heat, for the ground rose up high in front of him, taking the furious blast head on. The pavement cracked, and flames crept up and around the raised street, but eventually the flames died down, losing their sustenance in an instant.

"**_Earth mover!_**" barked Yauo

"The one and only." replied Terra, her hands brimming with her earth-based telekinetic powers

"Thanks Terra." replied Cyborg, "You okay?" he asked her as she took her place to his right

"Not really, but I can't afford to stop now, now can I?" she replied

"Heh, got a point." he chuckled, "Yo Rae... " he called, the dark girl materializing on his left, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." she replied, looking up at the daunting beast before her

The massive creature, annoyed with the constant interference of the Titans let loose his frustration with a violent release of air from his vocal cords.

**_RRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!_**

* * *

The only light to pierce the prevailing darkness within Yauo slowly began to fade, as Starfire weakened. The lack of air coupled with the constant motion of Yauo's stomach muscles and the suffocating fumes was taking its toll on the alien princess.

"I cannot take this anymore... " she murmured, her eyes closing, "I am sorry friends... "

_So, is that it?_

"Wha... " she murmured, her breathing labored

_You are giving in?_

"I... who are... "

_I asked you a question, answer me!_

"Let me sleep...so tried." Starfire muttered

_Pathetic!_

"Too powerful... " she murmured

_This is nothing!_

"Leave me be."

_Is this how you repay me!?_

"Huh... ?"

_Is this how you will let it end!?_

"I... I don't want it to."

_Will you fall to such a beast!?_

"No."

_Then awake!_

"I must... "

_Show me your passion!_

"I will... "

_Do you have the power!?_

"I do... "

_Can you fight!?_

"I can... "

_Then you must..._

"I must... "

_WIN!!_

"**_I must continue!_**" she roared, before unleashing a wave of Starbolt energy from her body, "**_RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!_**"

* * *

Waves of emerald flames flashed down the street, incinerating anything unlucky enough to be caught in its path. Luckily the Titans had taken it upon their selves to get out of the path of the blaze, taking refuge behind nearby buildings. As the initial blast passed by the Titans retaliated, firing their respective attacks at the dark demon that stood above them. Explosions raked the scaly hide of the Night King, coating him in pain, but the demon held strong and prepared to counter with yet another powerful blast of corrupt flames.

"**_If I must decimate this entire city in order to destroy you Titans then so be it!_**" roared Yauo, "**_Let everything BURN!_**"

Flames rage in his gullet, ready to be unleashed upon the defenseless city, but as the Night King brought his head back in order to release his pent up aggression, something odd began to happen. A sharp pain in what served as the demon's abdomen stopped him in his tracks. Just as he tried to ascertain what had happened, another pain roared through him, making him lose control of his flames. Emerald fire traveled down the wrong pipe and the mighty demon began to choke on his own power.

"Uh... what happen?" Speedy asked, his bow drawn

Along with his choking fit the mighty demon seemed to have more abdominal pains for his claws gripped his stomach area tightly. Flames soon spilled from the Night King's jaws, followed by strange green ooze that dribbled from his lips. A sickening gurgling noise broke free from Yauo's mouth as more and more of the strange green ooze spilled, dripping to the ground in a small, foul smelling puddle.

"It looks like he's... going to be sick." replied Raven, "Disgusting." she murmured, visibly sickened by the sight

_BLECK!_

A stream of green bile surged forth, coating the surrounding area in its acidic properties. From the downpour of stomach juices a large, lumpy object fell. And stranger still the large lumpy object was moving. The lump 'stood', the coating of bile slowly sliding from its form to reveal...

"Starfire?"

"This is truly disgusting." murmured the upchucked alien, "Fortunately though I am free from the 'belly of the beast' I believe."

The putrid bodily fluids of the demon dripped down her body, its acerbic feel stinging at her body and clouding her head.

"I must rid myself of this foul liquid." she thought, turning her attention to a lone fire hydrant, "That will do."

With a fling of her wrist a starbolt flew forth, smashing into the hydrant and uprooting it from its position. The power of the blast coupled with the pressure of the water sent the metallic placeholder soaring, where it eventually landed a few feet away, cracking the pavement on impact. The high-pressure water jetted toward the sky before gravity took hold and brought it back down to the street, where Starfire eagerly flew under, letting the cascading water wash away the remnants of her trip within the Night King. A mixture of water and acidic juices pooled around Starfire as she gave herself a quick shake to rid herself of the squalid fluid.

"The warm shower would be most appreciated at this time, but for the moment this will have to do." she told herself, as she stepped out of the water, dripping wet.

"**_... erg... you... will pay!_**" came a deep growl

Starfire's jade color eyes blaze with a righteous fury as she turned her attention back to the creature that tried to make a meal of her.

"You who endangered my friends and then snacked upon my like oh so may zorkaberries, it is _you_ who will pay!"

With a sound that could only be classified as hawking a loggie, Yauo gathered the remaining bile in his mouth and spewed the vile substance from his mouth, letting it splatter across the ground with a sickening _splat_ sound. He was still slightly disoriented from releasing his lunch all over the streets of Jump, but the demon managed to maintain a look of rage as he glared at the Titans, particularly Starfire.

"**_I... have... grown... tired... of... your... INTERFERENCE!!_**" he bellowed, filing the sky with his rage

Green lightening crackled menacing in the sky, masking the Titans behind it's green glow. Seconds later the deafening sound of thunder assaulted the ears of all that were around.

"Safe bet we've made him mad." Raven interjected

"Yeah, I think I'd take that bet." replied Terra

"Mad or not, he's still going down." came Robin

"Yes, we _will_ vanquish this demon." Starfire replied

"You are right about that little one!" boomed a voice, a familiar voice

A bright wave of red and orange flames rained down from the sky, bathing Yauo in its natural heat. Yauo retreated, putting his massive claws up to defend himself against the onslaught of flames. As the flames died down the Titans turned to the source of the flames and their jaws promptly dropped.

"You!" yelled Raven surprisingly

"I am happy to see _you_ as well, my dear." replied Malchior as he made touchdown

Raven's cloaked billowed violently underfoot as her powers came to life, but before she could utter her magic phrase to slay the terrible dragon a shrilled yell impeded her.

"Wait! He's on our side!" they heard

Hopping down from the neck of Malchior Beastboy jumped down, waving his hands frantically the moment he got his balance to try and dissuade his empathic teammate from turning Malchior into a smear on the street.

"What!?" came a chorus of shocked replies, the Titans obviously at a lost to what their green friend had said

"He's..." Beastboy began, trying to think slowly and carefully as to not to entice any negative outcomes, "He's not here to get revenge or nothing like that. He promised to help."

"Beastboy." growled Robin, causing the changeling to gulp in fear, "I knew you were up to something, but what exactly would that be?" the leader demanded

"Robin, please do not be angry with friend Beastboy for it is I who was on this in as well." replied Starfire, giving Robin a soft smile as to calm him. "But I do not believe now is the time to discuss these matters." she replied, turning her attention back to Yauo who had recently recovered from Malchior's flames

Starbolts blazed in her hands with a low hum of power. Not only did this show that the Tameranian was far from beaten but that she had an enormous amount of power yet to be unleashed.

"Heh, heh. Seems my assistance is paying off for you." Malchior replied

"**_You! Dragon! Why are you here!?_**" Yauo demanded

"Simple, to crush you." replied Malchior

"**_So you're helping the Titans? When did you join them?_**"

"Do not mistake." Malchior corrected, "I am not doing this because I like them or even believe in their cause. It is simply a matter of survival. I may not like it, but I need the Titans to handle you. This is only a temporary truce."

Robin raised an eyebrow at this and turned to Beastboy, giving him a look that demanded that he be given answers.

"How?" was all Robin asked

"Let's just say I gave him an offer he couldn't refuse." Beastboy replied with a half grin

Robin didn't look entirely convinced with Beastboy's reply, but the current situation didn't give him much time to think it over as Yauo had gone on the attack again, lunging at the Titans. However, Malchior was not daunted and simply brought his paw up to reveal something he had been holding since he had first arrived. Yauo gasped and backed away, sending the remains of a nearby car tumbling. A grin seemingly spread across Malchior's face as he got the desired reaction he wanted from Yauo and as he spoke the dragon's words dripped with ridicule.

"Well then, it seems the mighty demon has a fear after all."

"**_Where... how... damn you!_**" Yauo managed to say, brimming with hate toward the dragon

"Hmm? Scared of this?" Malchior asked, waving the cracked mirror for effect, "Some demon you are."

"**_Do not look at me with such a condescending gaze, for you know as well the revulsion of being trapped in a mystical artifact._**"

Yauo's commented seemed to hit point as he saw Malchior visibly tense up, a small chuckle escaping the demon's mouth as he saw he hit a sore spot.

"**_As I thought. Hold your tongue dragon, if you cannot handle what you are told._**" Yauo said, grinning

Malchior snorted, a waft of smoke puffing out of his nostrils before surprisingly he chuckled as well, Yauo giving him an odd look because of it.

"You are right." Malchior replied, "But the difference being is that I am free and you will be trapped, back in this mirror!"

"**_I won't let you!!_**" roared Yauo, unleashing a raging inferno of green flames

"Aldranon Enenthranel Volsolanirist Nor!" roared the mighty dragon, unleashing a foul curse of old

A blast of white energy rushed from the cracked mirror, meeting the blazing green fire head on. The collision was mighty but it seemed the blast of white energy was more powerful, completely overtaking the flames and traveling toward Yauo, smashing into him with incredible force.

"**_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!_**" he bellowed with fierce animosity as he felt his body being ripped apart and pulled forward

The great demon struggle adamantly against the pull but it was to no avail as he was dragged into the accursed mirror. Malchior stood with steadfast resolve as the demonic entity was forcefully pulled into the mirror, barely flinching as he held the mirror in place. Finally, after moments that seemed to drag on the Night King was gone, not a trace of him left to the outside world.

"Well, that is done." grunted Malchior, turning the mirror towards himself to inspect it

He saw nothing, nothing but a cracked mirror and the final wisps of energy disappearing into the air. With another grunt he tossed the mirror aside, letting it slide along the ground before coming to rest a few feet in front of him.

"Now then, for you Titans." he said, turning around to face them, "My side of the agreement has been fulfilled, it is now time to honor yours."

"Agreement?" asked Robin, once again turning to glare at Beastboy

But before anything else could come from the vigilante's lips Starfire intervened, creating a wall between Beastboy and Robin.

"As I mentioned before, I was on this in as well." she replied, "Beastboy sensed that we as Titans were in a losing battle and needed assistance quickly. I will be the first to do the admittance that I did not believe his plan to be... plausible... " she replied

"Or sane." came Raven

"... yes, but it was the only course of action that friend Beastboy could take and thus I went along with this not quite plausible plan and asked friend Malchior for assistance."

"Friend?"

"Er... what I mean to say is that... there were certain pledges made during the creation of this agreement." she told him, "However the details of that can be save for a later date. Do know that I did not object to this plan and if you so wish to place blame on Beastboy I implore you to do the same for me." she replied, "I wish for no special treatment even if the plan was not of my creation."

"Thanks Star." mumbled Beastboy to her back, thankful for the assistance, "Sorry you got caught up in this though."

"There is no need for forgiveness." she replied

Robin sighed and put his head into his hand, obviously torn. It should have been an easy decision. Starfire had admitted her fault and was willing to take equal blame in the decision to let Malchior free, but Raven could feel the conflicting emotions in the masked leader. He was letting his feelings get in the way.

"I could care less about you own personal accords." replied Malchior, tired of waiting, "I will be taking my leave of you now." he replied, spreading his wings to take flight, "Farewell Titans. Until we meet again."

However, before he could lift into the air a vibrating sound caught his attention, he turned only to see an explosion of energy rise up from the cracked mirror. The energy quickly took form, the form of a large claw.

"**_DRAGON!!_**"

There was no time to evade as the large claw came crashing down, latching onto Malchior with a vise-like grip. The great dragon roared in protest but all his strength failed him as he was dragged toward the mirror courtesy of the massive claw.

"Friend Malchior!" yelled Starfire, bursting forward to aid the dragon in peril

She grabbed hold of one of his claws and pulled hard, but even her alien strength could not stop Malchior's descent into the mirror. Nor did the aid of the large green woolly mammoth trunk that wrapped around her mid-section in a vain attempt to help.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthoss!"

Even the massive black talon that sallied forth from Raven's palms proved to do little in impeding the progress of the dragon and the two Titans as a vortex opened up. Though it did managed to get Raven sucked into the rabbit hole along with her friends. A chorus of screams could be heard as multiple individuals were dragged into the depths of the ancient reflective artifact.

_WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!_

* * *

Hope you enjoyed that chapter. I thought it was really fun to write, though the next one will be even better. Time to see the inner-workings of the demonic mirror.

Note: I do hope people really enjoy my chapters and have an easy time reading them. My writing style is a little different than most people on this site and I don't want to confuse people. While I am trying to deviate away from grammar mistakes (which I hope my readers will point out) I purposely do other things that many would deem improper sentence structure (like leaving sentences 'undone' at the end of quotes. It is simply something I am more comfortable with, but I do hope this does not come as a nuisance to anyone reading). I hope this has cleared up anything that may be confusing. But if there is still more that you, as my readers, do not understand please leave me reviews, no matter how scathing they may be. Only good critics can help a writer become better.


	30. Within the Darkness

Alright, first and foremost I would like to inform that the story is coming to a close. This chapter and the next will be the final two chapters of this story. But don't worry; there will be future stories that take place after this. I just wanted to inform my readers that the story is ending. This means that these next two chapters will be rather long, so I am preparing people in advance. But don't let this get you down and simply enjoy.

* * *

His senses were dull, darkness was all around, emptiness surrounded him. But there was one thing that he was certain of and that was that he was falling. He was not sure how or why, but he knew that he was falling through the darkness. Then an unexplained sensation tickled his back as the rush of wind hit his ears. Without warning a bright light assaulted his eyes, blinding him. His mind was a jumble of thoughts as he fell, though to where he could not say. But before long reality came back with frightening speed and the boy whipped his head about, gazing at the pale moon in the sky before making a crash landing into a rather… sordid place.

_SPLOOSH!!_

A column of muck rose into the air upon the boy's impact, but gravity quickly remedied that and brought the vile fluid dropping down with a sickening _splat_. Nothing stirred as the green ooze pooled into the surrounding muddy area. Peace and serenity prevailed for a short time as the piercing bright moon shone down on the dark region. But like all peace the tranquility of the moment as soon broken as a small lump rose from the murky depths. As the lump rose, goo oozed off its sides, revealing a rather perturbed changeling.

"This is beyond nasty." Replied the changeling, bringing his gloved hand to his face to wipe the remnants of the goo from his face, "But at least it can't get any worse." He replied, trying to remain optimistic

But the fates enjoyed torturing the pour changeling, for moments after those words were spoken a second spiraling object descended from the sky and slammed into the murky waters a few feet away from the green boy.

_KER-SPLOOSH!!_

With previous actions repeated by a second source Beastboy soon found himself once again covered by the greenish black slime that covered the area.

"Well… I have nobody to blame but myself for that one." Muttered the changeling, once again wiping his face clean of the vile muck

As the changeling griped a second lump made its way up from the pool of ooze, revealing something blue.

"This day just gets better and better." Replied a voice from within the blue cloak

"Raven?"

"The one and only." Replied the empath, using her powers to wash away the dark substance

"You okay?" he asked, concern in his voice

"I'm fine… just disgusted." She replied

"You and me both sister." He told her, morphing into a dog and doing his best to relieve himself of the nauseating liquid

"Wait Beastboy don't… " Raven tried to say, but by the time the words came from her mouth the green dog shook violently, sending globs of dark green ooze in all directions

_KER-SPLAT!!_

Once again Raven's vision was clouded as she felt the strange ooze cling to her face. Beneath her slimy mask a vein in Raven's forehead throbbed and feeling of anger washed over her. Beside her Beastboy had finished shaking, having successfully cleansed himself of the disgusting material.

"Whew!" Beastboy cheered, as he morphed back to his human form, "I might still be a little gooey, but at least I got most of that stuff of me. How about you Raven?" he asked, turning to the dark girl

What he met was a girl with ooze covering her face and dark energy surrounding her hand. Beastboy raised a green eyebrow at this, wondering why Raven had called forth her powers. The empath sensed his confusion and with a glowing hand pointed upward, right above the changeling's head. Without a second thought Beastboy looked up and saw the reason behind Raven's actions. But before any words could come from Beastboy's mouth the dark bubble above him dissipated, releasing its sickening contents.

_SPLAT!!_

And thus there stood two teenagers, each with a face full of dark slime standing knee-high in a swamp full of the disgusting stuff. Once again near-complete silence filled the area. The only sound that could be heard was the plopping sound of ooze falling into the muck below. With simple swipe of her hand the ooze that covered Raven's face was wiped clean, though the look of anger had yet to pass. With a disgruntled _humph_ the dark female took off, using her powers to float just above the murky waters as to avoid wading through them. After she had gotten a few feet away the changeling stumbled after her, the sound of his shoes plopping through the swamplands echoing though the darkened trees.

"Wait up Raven!" he called, but the empath ignored him and continued on her way

She had no clue as to where she was going but at the moment all she wanted to do was vent and letting Beastboy suffer by clumsily running through the swamp was a great way to do so.

"Come on Raven, I'm sorry!" he called after her, whining painfully as he tried to keep up

It had yet to dawn on the changeling that he could simply transform into some sort of aerial creature and fly over the muck, but at the moment he was too concerned with Raven snuffing him to think logically.

"Okay, I wasn't thinking! My bad!" he replied, hoping to get some sort of response from the floating titan, the problem was, she did

"And this is news to me, how?" she asked, her voice an even tone, "You're idiocy is nothing new to me."

"Okay, yeah, it was stupid of me. But you gotta admit, it was sorta funny." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood

She turned and gave him a look that could melt lead, if not his head, if he continued his bad joking.

"Okay, not so funny." He replied

The look intensified.

"Okay, not funny at all."

Raven turned back to her previous direction and continued to float away.

"Seriously Raven, I'm sorry I splashed you! I'm really, really, really, really, really, _really… _"

"If I accept your apology will you shut up?" she asked, turning back to him

A grin found its way across Beastboy's face.

"Scouts honor." He said, giving a mock salute

"Whatever." She replied and waited for him to catch up

"Dude, this place is something else… " he replied when he reached her, "Kinda smelly too."

"Swamps tend to be like that." She replied

"So where are we exactly?" he asked, looking about the strange environment

"If I had to fathom a guess we were sucked into that mirror." She said

"Again! What is it with me and getting sucked into mirrors." He murmured quietly to himself

Too bad he hadn't murmured quietly enough.

"Yeah, what is it with you and mirrors. It seems you have a knack for invading people's minds without permission." She responded, subtle irritation in her voice

"So, I should ask for permission then?" he inquired, trying to lighten the mood

The pointed glare Beastboy received following that statement made him cringed slightly, knowing where this hostility was coming from. But even so Beastboy was determined to end this conversation on a good note, or at least on a semi-good note. Hell, the boy would have been grateful for leaving it on a sorta-good note.

"But hey, a least the inside of your mirror is a lot nicer than this place." He replied with a smile

The only indication that he got from Raven that she had heard him was her shoulders drooping slightly. With her back to him he could tell if she was still angry or not, but she was quiet. Not exactly a good thing but then again, not exactly bad.

"So Raven, mind helping a guy out of this stuff?" he asked

Still the empath said nothing, though her hand did make is way from within the confines of her cloak. She waved it once as dark energy encompassed her hand, before quickly returning it back to her cloak. Moments later a small black disk rose from the dark muck, with Beastboy as its single occupant.

"Thanks." He replied

Not a word came from her as she flew on, the dark disk floating after her. The sudden jolt nearly knocked Beastboy off the floating disk so he opted to sit cross-legged to keep his balance. If he was getting a free ride he might as well try to enjoy it. And for a few moments he did as he floated along with Raven, who as busy trying to find the exit, in silence. However the changeling's mind floated around recent events, events he could not keep bottled inside of him.

"Raven… sorry." He replied, his voice sounding far-away

A soft sigh escaped the empath's lips.

"Look Beastboy, I'm not _completely_ mad about the face full of grim earlier so stop… "

"Not about that." He replied, though he felt he messed something up in that sentence and quickly replied, "I mean, _yeah_, about that cause I don't want you to think I'm not sorry for that and all but this is a different sorry I'm talking about, though it's not more so or not depending on how you look at it and… "

"Just get on with it." Raven replied, feeling frustrated at the scatterbrained changeling

"Oh… " He murmured, getting the hint, "I'm sorry about… Malchior." He replied, and silently waited for her to reply

Once again her shoulder's drooped and Beastboy took this as a sign that he should elaborate a little more.

"I mean, if I could have thought of some other plan to stop Yauo I wouldn't have even thought about letting him out and everything. But knowing me there probably was some plan out there I didn't see." He replied, "It's just… well, I'm sorry." He replied and fell silent once more

"Don't worry about it."

"Huh?"

"Did I stutter?" she asked, "I said… don't worry about it." She replied, her voice low

"So… you're not mad?"

"No."

"But Raven, I… "

"Did what you had to do in a tight situation. You went over our predicament and calculated the only possible outcome for us to win." She replied, "Besides… we can't change the past, no matter how much we would like to." She replied, "It just took me some time to remember that."

"I'm glad you're okay." He replied

"Thanks." She replied, "Now then, let's find Starfire."

"Right!" exclaimed the changeling, the thought flashing in his head, "She got sucked in here too trying to help Malchior!" he replied, "But I wonder where she is?"

* * *

The pale moon beamed down on the barren landscape, setting everything aglow with its luminosity, piercing the veil that hung in the strange world of the mirror. But even with the beauty that the moon gave, one could not bask in its omnipresent glow for long. A wickedness blanketed the lands, giving those present a feeling of dread and uncertainty.

"This place would be quite beautiful and peaceful for it not for the prevailing wickedness that grips me." Replied a soft voice, troubled by the oxymoron of the world she was in

"Are all creatures of you world this in tune with their emotions?" asked a louder, gruffer voice

"It is the driving force behind the control of our abilities." Replied the fair female

"Hmm… " murmured the louder creature, returning to his own thoughts

Trailing the large expanse a small, ginger-haired girl floated alongside a large, black reptilian creature as he strolled along the area. The young woman's hair wafted in the gentle breeze that had kicked up, the wind sending dust dancing across her boots that floated mere inches off the ground.

"Why?" he wondered, stealing a glance at the alien at his side, "Why?"

The only thoughts to fly through the mind of the large dragon were those of only moments before. Yauo unexpected attack on the dread dragon had resulted in Malchior being forcefully pulled in the demonic mirror. However that particular detail was not what concerned the dragon so, but what happened mere seconds before he was dragged into the accursed artifact. The moment when she lunged to his rescue.

"Why would she… ?" he wondered, unable to comprehend her reasoning even inside his own thoughts

_Friend Malchior!_

Those words continued to ring loudly in his head as he tried to wrap his mind around the exclamation.

"Does she… ? No. I'm being foolish. She is simply naïve." He thought, "Stupid and naïve."

However…

"Is there something the matter?"

Not realizing he was staring Malchior was abruptly jogged from his thoughts by the sudden question and hastily tore his gaze away from the floating tameranian and toward the sky.

"What are you speaking about?" Malchior grunted, his eyes now focused on the bright moon that hung in the sky

"Were you not staring at me?" she asked, her voice filled with curiosity, "Do you find some sort of interest in me?"

"What possessed you to think such a ludicrous thought?" he replied, incredulously "What possible interest could I have in such a lowly creature such as yourself?"

"None, maybe. However this _lowly_ creature has interest in one such as you." She replied

"Hmm?" he murmured, his gazing never breaking from the moon

"Yes." She replied, "Friend Malchior. You are a terrible creature who has done many the terrible things." She began, resulting in Malchior snorting out of spite, "However, you could not always be the evil creature that you are today. So I ask, what were you before you became the dread?" she asked

"Why… why do you ask?" he inquired, his gaze now focused ahead of himself

"I am curious." She replied, "Simply curious."

"It is none of your concern."

"I see… " she replied, "However, will you do the answering of this next question?" she asked

A low murmur of words escaped the lips of Malchior, much too low for Starfire to figure out, but she took that as a 'yes' and posed her question toward the dread dragon.

"Do you regret the choices that you have made?" she asked

Near complete silenced reigned for a time as the two wandered the barren field, the only sound that could be heard being the heavy footsteps of the black dragon.

"No." he finally replied, simple and straightforward

"Oh… " she murmured, her gaze traveling to her feet, "Very well then."

Once again an awkward silence filled the air as the two walked, seemingly heading for an unknown location. However, the silence was once again broken as another question was posed.

"Why?" questioned Malchior, his gaze never wavering

"Hmm?"

"Why did you, try to aid me?" he asked

Starfire looked up toward the dragon, a slightly confused look adorning her face. But quickly she realized what the dragon was hinting at and a small smile found its way upon her features.

"You may be a terrible creature. But you are also my friend and I help my friends." She replied

The dread dragon cocked his head so that the tameranian was in his line-of-sight; a dubious looked plastered on his face. The beast sensed no ill-will or dishonesty in the girl's reply and yet he was flabbergasted at the ease at which she spoke those words.

"Foolish female." He murmured, once again looking away from the alien at his side

* * *

"Aaaaghh!! This place goes on forever!" grumbled a rather irate changeling

Gripped by the sheer monotony of the swamp they were in, coupled with the constant unnerving feeling that hung in the air the changeling's final nerve had been broken. He grumbled pathetically and flopped over onto his back on the floating disk, a sigh of discontent slipping from his lips as he did so.

"And here starts the bout of complaints." Raven mumbled under her breath

"I mean c'mon! How big can this place really be? And could it be anymore smelly?" he grumbled, "And it's so _creepy_. Like something's gonna pop out at any second and try to eat us or something."

Raven sighed, knowing that if she didn't put an end to this now his rant could go on for a while.

"Beastboy, look." She began, gaining his attention, "Before you go on a tirade of what's wrong with this place, just know we've been sucked into a demonic mirror and sent to an alternate plane of reality where evil shadows manifest into physical form." She replied, "Sure, I can sense the evil that hangs in the air, but seriously it doesn't surprise me that much."

"What, you were expecting to get sucked into the mirror?" Beastboy asked

"No, not truly, but think about it Beastboy. Is this anything new for us?"

Beastboy opened his mouth to reply, but then stopped as he truly analyzed Raven's question. The Titans had been sucked in alternate dimensions on numerous occasions. Not to mention the fact that they've had their own reality altered many times. Seeing a pie still gave Beastboy… less then pleasant flashbacks.

"Heh, guess you're right Raven." He finally replied, scratching the back of his head sheepishly

"When aren't I?"

Then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Raven sensed a spike in Beastboy's mood.

"Okay then, that tears it!" he replied, standing tall on the floating disk

"Tears what?" she asked, confused, though her stale expression would say otherwise

Beastboy had a righteous indignation in his eye with a subdued grin finding its way across his face. His clenched his fists in resolve and his fang poked sharp from his bottom lip.

"No more moping around and complaining!" he cried out, a feeling of excitement sweeping over him, "We're gonna find Star, get out of this freaky place, beat Yauo, and then go home and celebrate!"

After his proclamation the smile on the changeling's face grew, threatening to split his head in half if he tried to widen it any further.

"Rather confident aren't we?" Raven commented, turning to him

"Why wouldn't I be? I am Beastboy after all." He replied, swelling with pride

Raven rolled her eyes and was prepare to strike with a small quip to deflate the boy's ego, but Beastboy wasn't quite finished with his statement.

"'sides, I got you here with me so that like multiples my chances by a million or something!"

Raven's quip died on her lips before it even had a chance to be uttered. She wasn't sure how to reply to that statement, if she should even reply to it at all. But she could feel the confidence swelling inside the changeling. Confidence not only directed toward himself but towards her as well. His complete and utter trust was in the empathy that stood no more than a few feet in front of her, and while her expression didn't outwardly change, Raven felt truly touched by the gesture.

"Whoo!" he cried happily, hopping off of the floating disk and landing into the murky waters with a sickening _sploosh_

"What was that for?" she asked

"Well I can exactly charge forward when I sitting on a dark circle now can I?" he questioned, "Besides, you probably want a rest from carting me around for so long."

"You're not exactly heavy." She replied

"Ha! Thanks Raven. Always knew I was in perfect shape."

"Then again, you're not exactly muscular either."

"Hey!" he cried out in defiance, "You telling me I don't have guns?" he asked, flexing his biceps to try and prove her wrong

"More like pea-shooters."

"Hey!" he cried out again, but just as quickly as his irritation had come it left, once again replaced with his confidence and happiness, "Heh, heh. I guess you're right again Raven." He chuckled, "But then again, the ladies love the lanky look when complemented with rigorous training." He replied, "I've caught you staring at my awesome bod." He laughed

"Oh yes, you're amazingly handsome." She replied with apparent sarcasm, but Beastboy was unaffected by her quip

"I know, right?"

Raven sighed, though it wasn't out of frustration, but because there was no point in continuing. Beastboy was once again back to his normal happy-go-lucky self and while she would never admit it publicly, she was happy for this.

"Alright then, onward!" he proclaimed, taking the lead as he sloshed through the swamp

His enthusiasm was infectious and despite herself Raven couldn't help but share his feelings. But then again, that was one of the changeling's special abilities. No matter the situation Beastboy had the ability to brighten the mood and make everyone present feel just a little better. But his 'special ability' didn't stem from his own self-confidence, though he would make one believe so with his ego, but from the confidence he felt from others. As long as he knew there was a chance to make others feel better about a situation that gave him the strength to push forward himself. It was a weird parallel but it worked for Beastboy.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Raven asked

"Uh… " he mumbled, stopping mid-stride, "Not really." He replied, his cheeks red with embarrassment, "But it's not like you knew where you were going." He replied, trying to trip her up

"Actually, I did, and I still do." She replied

Beastboy looked at her incredulously.

"Come on." She replied, heading into a thick line of trees

Beastboy followed dutifully after as Raven quickly weaved through the thicket of bare trees. Having trouble keeping up in his human form Beastboy opted to morph into a blue jay, though in his case it would be a green jay, to keep up with the dark empath. He quickly caught up with her, but by that time the duo had already come out of the line of trees and the edge of a cliff, to once again be bombarded with the bright moon light, among other things.

"Whoa… " Gasped Beastboy, his jaw dropping at the sight before him, "That's big."

"Yeah." Came Raven's stoic reply

A large canyon lay before them, stretching for miles on end. But it was not the large hole in the ground that astounded them, but what was within the large expanse. A maze littered the canyon, a maze beyond anything that Raven and Beastboy had ever seen. Large stone pillars jetted out from all directions, each littered with small forms of vegetation. Even from the distance the two were, they could tell that the maze was massive, dwarfing them considerably.

"We have to go in there?" Beastboy asked

"I sense a massive concentration of demonic energy. Yauo has to be in there, and if we plan out getting out of this place we have to find him."

"Well what are we doing wasting time standing around for, let's get a moving." He said, before leaping off the cliff, "_Yaaaaaaaaahooooooooo!!_"

His joy cry was heard for quite a distance followed by a "_Hurry up Raven before I leave ya dude!_" before he morphed into a condor and took to the skies. The empathy shook her head at his childish antics but could not help the smile that found its way on her face.

"That kid." She chuckled lightly before lifting off to catch up

* * *

"This maze is quite immense." Replied Starfire, breaking the silence that reigned between her and her dragon escort, "I do hope we do not become lost within this place."

"Yes. Though that is not what worries me." Replied the dark dragon

"What do you mean?"

"If this is the land that these creatures originate, why have we not been attacked yet?" he posed

"I have been doing the wondering of that myself." Replied Starfire, "Though maybe we have been the lucky." She told him

"Luck is for the weak." He replied, "Something is amiss."

"You are wrong." Replied Starfire

"Hmm? We are in the home of the enemy. I do believe the fact that we haven't been attacked yet is because the enemy is waiting for something."

"No, you are mistaken. My intention was that you are wrong about luck." She replied

"You rely on such a silly notion?" he asked

"No, but I have learned from a friend that one does not receive the luck, but makes their own."

"The green one?"

"Yes, though friend Raven has said at times that the luck he creates is the faulty goods."

"Heh…" chuckled the dragon lightly, before catching himself and covering it up with a cough, "Come, we should hurry and deal with this Yauo. I am not one to wait for my enemy to attack me."

The dragon quickened his place, moving ahead of the green-eyed alien. In response Starfire increased her air speed to catch up, though purposely kept her distance from the dragon. But it was not fear that caused her to do this, but curiosity. She could have sworn she saw a smile grace the dragon's lips at her last comment, but she couldn't be sure. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her.

"I will have to delve on that at a different time. Now is not the time be confused." She thought to herself

With every step the duo took into the large canyon the more uneasy she felt. Malchior had been right about one thing. Something was amiss and the unnerving feeling of what that was weighed heavily on Starfire.

_Meanwhile, deep within the canyon…_

"**_You fool!_**" barked a massive voice, "**_You useless fool!_**"

A diminutive form stood in front of a massive serpentine-like creature, bearing the brunt of his rage completely.

"I beg for forgiveness my master." She replied for the umpteenth time

The dark demon known as Yauo had been yelling at the lesser demon Ifrit for the pass half-hour, his anger toward her immense. Truthfully Ifrit knew that the demon was only venting at his own lackluster performance at dealing with the troublesome Titans, but she was not foolhardy enough to say express that. Yauo could strip her of her powers in seconds and then crush her without a second thought if he so felt like it. The only reason she was still standing and taking the demon's brutal words was because she was still needed.

"**_Those Titans… that dragon… _**" grumbled the massive beast, "**_And you… being dragged in here with the rest of the vermin._**"

"I could not help it my master. When I saw the dragon with the mirror I tried to intervene, but his spell was too powerful. Instead of stopping the spell I became trapped as well." She said, "Though the binding of the original curse of the mirror was altered because of the dragon's interference. With his power there is a chance for you to escape once again."

"**_It seems you are useful for something._**" He growled

"I will do anything to return to your good favor, my master."

"**_That will never happen. Though you can do something that will spare you pathetic life._**" He told her

"Whatever it is, I will do it dutifully." She replied

"**_You will destroy the two Titans making their way here._**" He replied

Ifrit did not respond to the question, as if it fell on deaf ears. But she knew what her master meant.

"**_Do you hear me!_**" he barked, rousing her from her thoughts

"Yes… my master." She replied

"**_No mercy and no mistakes._**" He told her, "**_You have three options. Destroy them, be destroyed by them, or be destroyed by me should you fail. Understood?_**"

"Yes, my master."

* * *

A low whistle echoed through the stone pillars that jutted from the canyon walls. Amazement struck the heart of the boy who had released the whistle as he marveled at the sheer size of the canyon he now walked through.

"Dude, this place sure is huge." He replied in awe

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Replied his dark partner

"I'm just saying, you could get lost in a place like this."

"Beastboy, you get lost making you way from one end of your room to the other."

"Hey, that only happened once!" he countered, "And besides it was dark that night."

"Hence it being called 'night'."

In response to that the changeling stuck his tongue out at her.

"Very mature Beastboy."

Beastboy was about to come back with a comment of his own but stopped immediately when a cold feeling ran up his spine. He turned to Raven who held a determined look in her eyes, sensing something amiss as well.

"Raven. I think my 'We're-going-to-get-attacked-by-monsters' rash is acting up." He replied, "I have a bad feeling."

"Something is coming, a lot of something."

Beastboy heard the something before Raven did, but it didn't take long for the scampering of many, _many_ legs to be heard by the two Titans. The two fighters turned back-to-back as wild screeches filled the air.

"We're surrounded." Raven replied

"Thanks Miss Obvious." Came Beastboy's reply, a smile on his lips

Raven sighed, but didn't press the matter. They had more important things to deal with. Like the swarm of Insectoids that had encircled them. The dark beasts snarled and shrieked at the two Titans, but kept their distance by about fifteen feet. This could only mean they were waiting for orders and Raven could guess from whom.

"Raven, Beastboy." A voice could be heard through the group of Insectoids

"Oh boy." Murmured Beastboy

"Her." Replied Raven venomously

"We meet again. For the final time." Replied the voice of Ifrit as she made her way to the front of the group

"You say that every time we meet, but it always ends up with you running." Replied Raven

"Not this time." Ifrit said, though the reply lacked its normal confident expression, "This is the final battle. Either you Titans fall, or I do."

"Well then, I guess the battle's already been decided."

"I guess it has." She replied, before raising her hand to point a finger at the two, "Rip them to shreds!"

The Insectoids rushed to battle, leaving a dusty trail in their wake as they zoomed past Ifrit toward Raven and Beastboy. The dark sorceress called her powers to her hands, her eyes glowing dangerously white, while the green teen transformed into a large carnivorous dinosaur or more specifically the mighty T-Rex, its entranced punctuated with a mighty roar.

**_ROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!!

* * *

  
_**

Starfire knew something was wrong. She couldn't see it, even with her powers glowing brightly in her palms and her eyes blazing with green glory, but she knew. Malchior had been on edge since the moment that the two had entered the canyon but now he was truly uneasy. Someone was watching them, his instincts told him, but he couldn't sense who or where.

"Come out here and show yourselves!" growled the irate dragon, assuming that a group of Insectoids had descended upon them

However, only one demonic creature was watching them. A crooked grin etched on its face as it slithered toward them, weaving its way through the maze-like canyon. Despite the dragon's best front, the demon knew Malchior was nervous and he would take advantage of that nervousness.

"**_Hello dragon._**" Rang a voice

"Night King." Growled Malchior, while the intensity in Starfire's eyes only grew

"**_It is good to see you again dragon._**" Replied the voice, "**_I will admit, we were not properly introduced when first we met. Inciting curses and all._**"

"Yes. I remember. You were being pulled violently into the mirror."

"**_And you were being dragged in by my hand._**"

"Yes, I will have to pay you back for that little attack. Maybe I will rip off one of your arms."

"**_I doubt that will happen, but you are willing to try._**"

"Oh try I will." Replied Malchior, moving his head back and forth

The dread dragon was trying to listen for Yauo's position but the sound of the demon's voice seemed to come from all directions.

"**_It's amusing to see you so desperately search for me dark dragon. But do not worry, I do not plan on destroying you...at the moment._**" Yauo replied

"Come out demon and face me!" barked Malchior

"**_Hear me dragon. You must know you cannot defeat me. Join me and you will survive. Refuse… _**"

"You offer some sort of deal?" Malchior asked

"**_You are a creature who strives to obtain power. I can give you power, great power._**"

"In exchange for what?"

"**_Simple, destroy the Titans._**"

Starfire looked warily up at Malchior as he seemed to contemplate the offer. He wouldn't really betray the Titans… would he?

"**_Why help those who imprisoned you? They would rather see you locked away than to be free to roam the skies._**" Yauo said, "**_Was it not a human that trapped you in the first place? Was it not humans who... betrayed you?_**" he asked, "**_You hold blackness in your heart that I can relate to. Why not join a being who can understand your hatred of humans?_**"

"You would not, join that despicable demon, would you?" Starfire asked, looking up at Malchior, the glow of her eyes temporarily dimmed

"You do not know me." Was Malchior's reply as a serpentine tail slithered unnoticed behind Starfire

The alien girl had no time to react as the dark tail of Malchior coiled around her, holding her in its lithe but strong embrace. A small squeak escaped her throat as Malchior brought her to face level, presenting her in front of him.

"**_Wise choice._**" The dragon heard, this time from a definite direction

Then, ever slow slowly, the colossal form of Yauo came into view. He could be seen weaving his way through the columns, his form shadowed by the many protruding rocks. Eventually he came into full view, the light of the large moon burning brightly upon his scaly hide.

"**_You._**" Growled Yauo, glaring at Starfire, "**_You have been a thorn in my side for a while. But look how powerless you are now. So easily tricked by the dragon. He is right, you do not know him._**"

"I was not talking to her." Replied Malchior, quickly releasing his grip on Starfire and launching a wave of flames at Yauo

While surprised, Yauo managed to put a claw up to deflect much of the flames, though a screech of pain erupted from his throat at the intense heat.

"Alien, if we are to win we have to unleash all out power!" Malchior roared, making use of Yauo's temporary vulnerability to devise some sort of plan

Starfire shook her head, slightly dizzy from being dropped so suddenly, but was quick to regain her wits.

"Could you have not thought of a less abrupt way of drawing the Yauo out of hiding?"

"No, now prepare yourself."

At his words Starbolts once again glowed brightly in her palms and her eyes blazed dangerously with green energy.

"Good." He replied, standing up on his hind legs, raising his front paws upward

Starfire raised an eyebrow at this, but before she could question his odd stance a venomous growled filled the air.

"**_You. Will. Die!_**" roared Yauo, his green flames blazing wildly in his mouth

"We shall see." Replied, Malchior and with that his front paws went ablaze with strange dark scarlet-colored gas-like energy, "Do not hold back." He said, sparing a glance at Starfire

"I will not." Replied Starfire

"**_I planned to allow you to live and take part in my new world dragon, but not you've sealed your fate._**" Yauo said, holding back his power for the moment, "**_I will take you power and used it to escape permanently. And as for you Titan…_**" he said, his glare shifting toward Starfire, "**_I will annihilate you and your worthless allies._**"

"You will do no such thing!" barked Starfire

"You're right. For he will meet his end here and now." Malchior replied, his flames mimicking the rage that of Yauo's, "To battle!" he bellowed, leaping toward the dark demon

With a mighty battle cry Starfire followed suit, charging forward, toward the massive creature in hopes of ending things once and for all. But Yauo was not deterred by their proclamation and with a mighty roar himself he unleashed his wrath.

**_ROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!!

* * *

  
_**

An angry green Deinonychus lunged at an unlucky Insectoid, its sickle claw tearing into its hide while its mighty jaws bit down on the dark creature, ending its life. But as the beast went down, three replaced it, forcing the prehistoric killer to morph into a small chipmunk and scurry away. The chipmunk only barely managed to scamper away before a sickle claw grazed its furry tail as he tried to escap three Insectoids who chased him relentlessly. Luckily though the chipmunk was not alone in his battle against the dark creatures

"Azerath Metrion Zinthoss!"

A wave of dark energy smashed into the three Insectoids taking them, along with others, on a one-way course toward the wall. The group of creatures smacked into the wall with impressive force, some splattering on impact while others fell to the ground twitching, broken beyond repair.

"Thanks for the assist Raven!" Beastboy called, morphing to his human form

"Focus. We're not out of the woods yet." She replied, raising a barrier to block a strike from an Insectoid before ripping the foolish creature apart with her powers

Wasting little time the changeling morphed once again, taking the form of a powerful bull. The muscular bovine stamped its hooves determinately against the ground, releasing a powerful snort before charging head-on into a massive group of Insectoids. The dark creatures went flying as Beastboy's phenomenal strength overtook them, while one less fortunate ended up being gored on the bull's sharp horns. With a mighty whip of its neck the bull sent the flailing creature skyward where it crashed landed into an adjacent group of Insectoids. The powerful beast let loose another snort as its attention was directed toward the source of the Insectoid infestation. The mystical witch known as Ifrit was standing far off, observing the battle methodically. Beastboy let his hooves beat against the ground as he dug in, ready to charge the maniacal magic user and hopefully take her out of the fight. But moments after he charged forth he was brutally assaulted by a wave of Insectoids. The bull was lost in a storm of scythe arms but in its place came a small wolf spider, which jumped out of the mash of creatures before it could be crushed. Not knowing that their prey had long since departed the Insectoids thrashed about wildly, impaling one another for a brief moment.

"Whoo, close one." thought the small green spider as it scurried away

The arachnid quickly focused itself and once again began its search for Ifrit, but with the number of Insectoids still roaming about it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. In this case the haystack could hack the changeling to bits.

"Dude, this is getting ridiculous. I take one out and like a million just take its place."

Sure, the changeling was exaggerating on an epic scale, but he was right that the numbers of Insectoids seemed endless. Though this could only be so, as this was their original 'home' as one would call it.

"And crap, they've spotted me." he thought, noticing the Insectoids closing in

Almost in an instant a large Bengal Tiger popped into existence and, with a roar, slowed the advance of the Insectoid army momentarily. But this momentary shock was soon replace with aggression as the Insectoids circled about, preparing to strike as one. While wary, the large cat was not afraid of the advancing swarm of creatures and barred both its teeth and claws, ready to rend demonic flesh.

Meanwhile, an equally determined sorceress was hard at work, releasing her powers upon the hapless foes that were the Insectoids. Cries of 'Azerath Metrion Zinthoss' could be heard over the shrieks of numerous Insectoids, followed by massive explosions of magical energy. The effects carried by the magic were various as they were devastating, ranging from the levitation of boulders, to the formation of dark blades, massive disorientation, etc. But with all the power at her disposal Raven was more or less on equal grounds with the Insectoids because of their sheer numbers. There were so many of them that they literally climbed over one another to get at Raven, moving as a single wave of evil upon the dark empath.

"Azar, this is getting ridiculous. There's not even a strategy here. They just plan to overwhelm me." she thought

The big problem was that there was a good chance that they _could_ overwhelm her if even one got the upper hand on her. Not like she was going to let that happen of course.

"I could sit here and just let them come at me, but I think it's time that a certain witch gets what's coming to her."

And with that thought Raven turned her head for a brief moment, away from battle, and spotted Ifrit, unmoving. The dark witch simply stood in place, observing the battle. Both eyes met and for a moment Raven swore she felt some sort of emotion from the demonic djinn, a feeling of...regret? But Raven quickly shook that thought from her mind, seeing as that couldn't possibly be the case, just the stress of the situation messing with her head. Raven's focus quickly came back to her as she backed away from a cleaving strike from an Insectoid on her left. The empath retaliated with a blast of dark energy, knocking it and a few others away with the force of the blow.

"You're mine." thought Raven, and with a burst of magically induced speed she sped toward Ifrit

Insectoids lunged at her, but missed, crashing into one another in their furious bid to tear Raven apart. But there was no stopping the empath, making for a clear path toward Ifrit and not wasting any time in following it. Ifrit saw her coming and instinctively went into a defensive stance, though her face remained neutral. Raven paid no heed to this and simple continued on, determined to drop Ifrit once and for all, even if she had to rip her to pieces and send those pieces over the horizon. Just as she was closing in Raven noticed Beastboy in the form of a wolf, leap-frog over a group of Insectoids toward Ifrit with a look of determination that mimicked her own. Just as he bounded over the last Insectoid separating him from the witch he morphed, taking on the appearance of a Snow Yeti, his muscles flexing with his newfound strength. But the Insectoids behind both Titans would not just roll over and die and they too lunged, quickly closing the gap. As the combined forces closed in, one thought drifted into the mind of Ifrit as her powers came to light.

"I will prove my existence, one way or another."

* * *

"Ooof!"

A sharp cry of pain escaped the throat of a certain Tameranian as she was thrown forcefully against a rocky wall. Luckily for her, her newfound barrier helped to absorb the blow, though that didn't stop it from hurting all the same. Furthermore she had no time to dawdle as a massive fist came flying her way. With a slight burst of speed she managed to avoid the blow, though the canyon wall wasn't so lucky, shattering to pieces on impact. Large boulders rained down, causing a massive avalanche, but a combination of quick reflexes and well-placed Starbolts save Starfire from being buried alive by them.

"**_Missed._**" growled Yauo, pulling his fist from what remained of the canyon wall

Flames burned in the demons throat as he prepared to launch his signature attack, but before he could release the fire from within he was struck with a strange bolt of energy. Pain rippled through his body and forced him to turn his attention away from Starfire and toward the source of the mysterious attack.

"Do not forget, I'm here." replied Malchior, his claw fizzling with a strange electrical power after its expenditure

"**_You!_**" Yauo roared, thrusting his arm forward in an attempt to grab Malchior

But despite his size Malchior could move quite quickly and managed to evade the grab attempt, though a stream of green flames stopped the dragon from retaliating against his much larger foe.

"Raaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!" roared Starfire, fist aglow with Starbolt energy

_WHAM!_

Yauo dug his claws into the canyon wall, small boulders tumbling to the ground as he claws ripped through the stony barrier, allowing him to keep his balance. With a mighty swing of his body he lunged at Starfire, attempting to use his very body mass to crush her. But the nimble alien managed to avoid his tackle, flying through claws and teeth to avoid him. Unfortunately, as she rose upward and he passed under her she did not notice his whip-like tail coming up at her.

_SNAP!!_

Searing pain ripped through her as she was launched skyward, her Starbolt powers disappearing from her hands as her world went blurry. Eventually gravity decided to work and the alien princess began to plummet, right into the awaiting jaws of Yauo. Alas, his second attempt at making the tameranian a meal did not come to pass as the dread dragon Malchior threw his shoulder into Yauo's head, throwing the massive demon off balance and out of the range of his meal. Then with a mighty kick, Malchior thrust himself off the head of the demon toward Starfire, scooping her up in his claws. Unfortunately he was horribly off balance in doing so, so his landing was less than spectacular. At the very least he was able to keep Starfire safe as he cart-wheeled haphazardly across the rocky ground. When his momentum stopped and he managed to regain his equilibrium he shakily rose to his feet, though his breathing was haggard, a sign of his fatigue.

"You are fortunate I have my honor or I would not have risked my neck in that insane maneuver." he said, "Now stand and fight."

But the dragon would have had a better chance talking to a brick wall, for the powerful alien was falling in and out of consciousness, her head spinning too much for her to handle.

"This is perfect. It will take some time for her to regain her senses. Time we do not have."

"**_DRAGON!!_**"

"No choice then." Malchior thought, his wings spreading widely, "You owe me." he said to the dazed female as he took flight

Malchior soon disappeared into the maze of columns, but he didn't get far as the dark shadow demon gave chase, his serpentine body rapidly moving through the protruding structures.

"**_YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE!!_**"

* * *

"YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY!!"

The lithe form of two dark birds sailed through the maze-like structure of the large canyon in their attempt to escape a horde of Insectoid creatures. The two avian creatures were oddities, one being a strange shade of green while the other, magical in nature. Behind the two birds was a strange woman with a large purple hat, riding atop an insect-like creature. She was in hot pursuit of the fleeing birds, her demonic army right behind her, some flying, others leaping from archway to archway.

Despite the fact that Raven wanted to end her battle with Ifrit, reality decided to show up and show her that even with her power there were just too many Insectoids to battle effectively. This left the teen with only one choice, to hightail it out of there. Beastboy had been quick on the uptake and had followed after her, thus leading to their current situation. The only option left to the two Titans was to somehow locate Starfire and get out of the mirror. They needed help and only the other Titans could provide that.

"Running from a demonic army out for blood. Not exactly how I pictured my day going." she murmured

"_Squawk_, Raven!"

Raven turned to the odd sounding voice and noticed that her changeling friend had morphed from a green raven into a green parrot and was doing his best to speak with her while keeping ahead of the Insectoid army.

"What?"

And despite the fact that the two were running for their lives in another dimension filled with despicable creatures, Raven managed to maintain her signature monotone.

"How do we get out of here?" Beastboy asked, ending his sentence in a whistle

"Simple, we find the mirror." she replied

"How? _squawk_."

"Not sure."

"Perfect." he said, whistling to punctuate his disappointment, "Hope we find Starfire soon. _Squawk!_"

Moments after those words left his mouth his wished was granted, though in a way he was not expecting. Literally careening around the side of a wall, the dread dragon Malchior came into view. A distraught look was on his face as he hurriedly rounded the corner. But the strangest thing was what he carried within his paw, Starfire.

"Starfire!?" both Raven and Beastboy screamed in unison

"You!" yelled Malchior after having noticed Raven and Beastboy

Raven temper almost instantaneously flared after seeing Starfire's unconscious form in Malchior grip and her powers responded accordingly, lashing out at the canyon itself. Boulders and columns of stone dislodged from the walls, plummeting to the ground, though many rained down upon the Insectoids currently in hot pursuit. Ifrit managed to avoid being buried alive with some quick maneuvers atop her Insectoid, but her army did not fare quite as well. Wild cries filled the air as the Insectoids were crushed under the weight of the falling boulders. The Insectoids that managed to avoid being crushed momentarily stopped giving chase, opting to cling to any available perch they could find until the rock slide ceased.

"What did you do to her!?" yelled Raven, her powers increasing in intensity

"Nothing!" Malchior practically yelled back, "But this is not the time to place blame. We... " he began, but was cut off by a thunderous roar

"**_DRAGON!!_**"

Malchior turned, landing atop a stone column jutting from the canyon wall. A feeling of dread washed over Malchior, who gritted his teeth, knowing just how outmatched he was compared to the demon. A large shadowy claw gripped the side of the canyon, cracking the wall slightly as it pulled the weight of the Night King. Soon Yauo's massive form came into view, his eyes full of rage, his malicious teeth barred, reflecting brightly against the moonlight. When the demon noticed both Malchior and the Titans his anger only escalated, coming out in a massive roar that shook the very canyon with its might.

**_RRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_**

"This isn't good." Beastboy commented, landing on a nearby rock column

The dark empath at his side opted to float toward Malchior, her powers flowing violently beneath her cloak. The dread dragon sensed her loathing, though before her explain to her (or in his case, yell at her) the alien within his grip slowly came to from her previous dazed state.

"Oh my. I feel as if I have wrestled with a Volgarian Clunkersput." she murmured, "And lost."

As her vision cleared the first thing to come into focus was a large blue lump. But it didn't take long for the amber-skinned Titan to realize who that large blue lump was.

"Friend Raven!" she squealed and with unknown strength flew up to her friend and enveloped her in one of her bone-crushing hugs, "I am so glad to have located you Raven! I did not know where you may have ended up in this strange world. I am fortunate that I was able to find friend Malchior in this place or I would have wandered alone for an undetermined period of time." she said, before noticing another of her friends, "Friend Beastboy, you are here too!?"

"Star... ribs!" Raven squeaked

"As much as this may be a happy occasion for you, we have more pressing matters." Malchior replied

Releasing her grip on her dark friend Starfire's eyes once again glowed with a fiery green, with her Starbolts soon coming to life as well. Making his way toward Malchior and the Titans, slowly Yauo's gaze roamed over the small group.

"**_So you are all together now are you?_**" he said, a chuckle escaping soon after, "_**Now I do not have to waste time searching for you all. That makes it so much easier to destroy you now!**_"

"Place your money within your mouth you foul creature!" yelled Starfire, once again brimming with power

"Er... why would she command the demon to place currency into his mouth?" Malchior asked

"She mean's 'Put your money where your mouth is.'" Beastboy explained

"That makes less sense then the first." Malchior grunted

Humans. He'd never understand them or their sayings.

"By any chance, did you find a way of leaving this place?" Malchior asked, his sight now focused on the approaching Yauo

"No." replied Raven, her gaze focused on the demon as well

"Perfect." he muttered, "I suppose we fight then."

"I suppose so." Raven replied

"Do not think that this means anything. I simply need you Titans to survive. Once this is over... "

"No mercy." Raven finished

"Exactly."

"Well, now that we got the formalities out of the way, let's say we get ready to fight?" replied Beastboy, "'Cause from the looks of things... "he began, turning around to face the recovering Insectoid army

"We are in for the fight of our lives." Starfire finished

Yauo finally made his way through the columns, his mammoth form towering over the Titans as he braced the columns to support himself. Meanwhile the screeches of many Insectoids could be heard as the dark army reassembled itself under the authority that was Ifrit.

"**_It's time for you Titans to meet... YOUR DOOM!!_**"

* * *

Wow, I cannot believe this is the second last chapter. Everything is wrapping up. I swear I didn't think the story would ever end. But now the conclusion of "Seeing Life in a Different Perspective" is coming to a close. Hope you've had a blast reading. If not, then that's my fault for not writing a better story.


	31. Coming to a Close

Alright, it is finally here, the final chapter. I've been waiting so long for this chapter to come. One reason is because I simply want to finish this story that I have been working hard on for a while and secondly because I have another story in the works and I can't even beginning to start it until this one is completely done. Thank you all who have read and review. It is because of your reviews – from all ranges – that I have been able to become a better writer (though I still have a long way to go). I also have another thing I need to get off my chest, but that rant can wait until the end of the story where I explain a few things about this story and the next to come. But for right now, enjoy this extra long last chapter. I have a feeling it will go over ten thousand words (and more!).

* * *

The embodiment of all that was shadows bore down upon the four-person, or should I say three-person and one dragon group, with a ghastly level of pure rage. Even the very legions of shadow beasts that the demon commanded hesitated to join in with their master on account of his unbridled wrath. And yet, even with their certain destruction towering over them the group that dared to oppose the mighty demon stood their ground, determined not to falter in the Night King's presence. A massive claw came hurtling down, attempting to crush the group in one swift movement, but the four were quicker, jumping away from the attack moments before it smashed into a stone column, utterly obliterating it soon after. As the rocks from the destroyed column fell, they (the boulders) were quickly enveloped in a dark energy and ceased their descent, instead floating up towards a young female.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthoss!"

With the utterance of those magical words the floating boulders rushed pass the dark sorceress in a wild storm of stone, smashing to the dark demon Yauo. The titanic shadow demon though shrugged off the hits, charging the dark Titan and an effort to overwhelm her. However his bid to crush her was stopped as a blast of green solar energy intercepted him. While doing little damage, the attack did blind the mighty demon temporarily, giving his amber-skinned attacker time for a follow-up attack. With a roar a powerful hay-maker connected with Yauo's head, knocking him off balance, though it seemed to have some recoil against the thrower of the punch.

"This… this is not good." Thought Starfire, "My powers are no longer packing the punch as they previously did."

The young tameranian would have been corrected in that assessment. The female Titan could feel her fatigue beginning to take its toll on her, her Starbolt powers weakening with every blow she landed, with every blast she fired, and with generally floating in the air. She was strained and soon enough her other powers would begin to suffer from her low reserves. Though she was far from hurt, she was tired and no amount of physical prowess could make up for lack of energy.

"Star can't keep this up." Thought Raven, sensing the alien girl's turmoil, "She's been fighting too long. She's drained and soon enough she'll be tapped out." She surmised, "Got to get out of here and to the others, now!"

But that would be easier said than done. With no way of locating the mirror the Titans were basically buying time until something came to them. And from the looks of things, with the dark Insectoid army overwhelming them and Yauo relentlessly attacking, the Titan's chances were growing slimmer and slimmer by the second. If something didn't happen soon they'd be finished. And as these thoughts of dread raced through the mind of Raven, the dread dragon and the green shape shifter shared their own sets of worries.

"Damn." Growled Malchior, as he clobbered yet another group of Insectoids with his large claws, "I wasted far too much magic when I resealed the demon. Even if I should manage to find that accursed mirror there is no guarantee I'll have the power to break out." He thought, turning for a moment toward the battling females, "And that alien is losing strength by the second. Though I must commend her on her fortitude. Even in her weakened state she fights with the pride of a true warrior."

Meanwhile Beastboy was busily jumping between scores of Insectoids, morphing between various sets of animals to either avoid being ripped to pieces or to deliver his own brand of butt-kicking. But even so he was stopped short when Ifrit confronted him, riding atop an Insectoid.

"Stand down now Beastboy. There is still a chance I can spare you life from my master's wrath if you simply stop now." She said, "I really do not want to have to harm you further."

"Tough luck dude. I'm not a weather vain. I don't change sides whichever the wind's blowing."

"You know you cannot defeat me." She said, "Save yourself the pain. Listen to reason."

"Hey, if there's one thing about me it's that I _never_ listen to reason. Just ask Raven."

"Very well, you leave me no choice." She said, raising her hand toward him, "Goodbye Beastboy."

"Hey, don't count me out yet!" he yelled, taking the form of a falcon and lifting into the air before Ifrit's psychic attack landed

With a few, quick beats of his wings Beastboy sped directly towards her, determination set in his eyes.

"Is he insane? A direct frontal assault? This will be _far_ too easy." She thought, collecting her powers

But before she could launch an attack Beastboy climbed rapidly, getting above her in a matter of moments. And before she could even ponder why he did this he morphed once again, this time into a form _very_ familiar to the old witch.

"No… " she gasped in absolute horror, "Not again!"

A foul smelling liquid escaped from the hindquarters of a newly formed green skunk, the stinky substance raining down upon Ifrit. There was no avoiding it either, since Beastboy had been spinning around as he had morphed, thus sending the putrid fluid in a wide radius about him. Ifrit's nostrils (as well as the surrounding Insectoid's) were assaulted by a rancid smelling odor while her eyes watered uncontrollable from the stinging reaction to the funky smell.

"The fates be damned! It is worst than from earlier!"

"Maybe, but this part should feel familiar!" came Beastboy's call, the boy morphing yet again

Even through the stink was horrendous Ifrit managed to make out a large shadow and an even larger green blob as she looked up. Luckily she couldn't see very well or she would have gasped in horror as a very large, very determined dinosaur came careen down. Though it was not an ordinary dinosaur but in theory the largest dinosaur to ever walk the planet. The fabled 'huge body lizard', the Bruhathkayosaurus! Weighing at an estimate of 110 tons the sauropod quickly shadowed the surrounding area as it spun its body around so that its back descended upon the dark witch. The titanic spine of the massive creature smashed into Ifrit and as gravity kicked into gear she was soon pressed against the enormous creature like a bug on a windshield. She was not the only one to share in the bigness of the creature, as many Insectoids joined her on the way down, unable to get around the massive form that was the 'huge bodied lizard'. Columns of stone crumbled under the creature's immense weight, raining down with the green creature as he, Ifrit, and the Insectoids plummeted to the ground below. All the while Malchior (who had gotten a safe distance away) watched as the incredibly large creature fell, a creature that easily out-sized even him.

_BOOM!!_

The ground split on impact, sending a sizeable crack in all directions. The boulders that dislodged from the canyon walls fell in a storm of debris, slightly covering the massive dinosaur while completely burying many of the fallen Insectoids. A plume of dust kicked up as the onslaught as stone fell, clouding from view all participants of the colossal plunge. Eventually though the dust settled, slowly revealing the devastation of Beastboy's 'attack' (if one could call the disaster he created an attack), showing none other than the shape shifter himself, back in human form.

"Okay… I will not do _that_ again." He replied, his body now sore from morphing into such a large creature and the subsequent impact from his drop, "But at least it worked… I hope." He said, surveying the area

The surrounding area was in ruins, both geologically and in regards to the Insectoid army. Much of it had been decimated by the attack, with only a few stragglers left in its wake, who were quick to retreat. The rest were left in pieces, their claw scythes twitching uncontrollably, though life had already left the dark creatures. High above, balancing on what remained of a stone pillar, Malchior stared incredulously at the changeling, who was now trying to rise after his fall.

"Is he insane!?" Malchior wondered with a mix sense of awe and bewilderment, "That attack, if one could even call such a maneuver an attack, could have just as easily ended his life as it did that army. He cannot be that dim-witted to not have realized that and yet he did it anyway. Does he even think of consequence!?" Malchior wondered, "He even smiles after such an event, though I know he must be in some sort of pain."

It was true. Despite the fact that Beastboy had dropped several hundred feet and literally cracked the ground with his massive weight, resulting in some pain, the shapeshifter was indeed smiling, immensely proud of his disastrous attack.

"One surprise after another with that human." Malchior thought, opting not to try and think on the matter any longer

For, no matter the thought processes (or lack thereof) of the attack, Beastboy had done something substantial. In one movement he had quickly turned the tables of the battle between the Titans and the dark army, considerably tipping the scales in the Titan's favor.

"Whoo! That is my friend! Do the kicking-of-butt!" cheered Starfire from afar, "That was quite amazing!" she exclaimed, turning back to Raven, "Do you not think so as well?"

"If by amazing you mean crazy, then yeah, it was amazing." She replied

"Friend Raven, you say that all the time."

"That's because it's true. But now's not the time to discuss this."

"**_You…you Titans! You are annoyances of the highest scale!_**" barked Yauo, having watched his army nearly decimated in a matter of moments, "**_But do not think this means you will win. You've only prolonged the inevitable._**"

"Heard that line before." Replied Raven

"**_It will be the last thing you will EVER hear again!_**" he roared, his emerald flames roaring from his throat

Instinctively the two females went defensive, their respective powers flaring to life. Both girls' brought up barriers of protection, but because of their close proximity to one another their energy barriers collided, resulting in an odd, but not detrimental, reaction. The energies coincided with one another, merging to become one. The result was a green-tinged sphere of dark energy that surrounded the two. And when the corrupt flames on Yauo crashed into the barrier, not only were the flames stopped in their tracks, but somewhat absorbed by the energy shield.

"**_WHAT!!_**" boomed Yauo as the flames died down, the remnants of his attack slowly seeping into Raven and Starfire's combined energy barrier, "**_What manner of trickery…!?_**"

The mighty beast was utterly dumbfounded by this new turn of events, his mind racing a mile a minute as he tried to figure out what had happened. He was not the only one confused, for within the barrier Raven and Starfire shared equal bewilderment.

"Raven… what is it that has transpired?" Starfire asked

"Not a clue." Replied Raven

Raven and Starfire had always had some sort of harmony with their respective powers, having used an assortment of combination attacks. But this time had been somewhat different. Instead of simply a combination of energies, the barrier created was more like a merger, a creation of a new power. But they had no time to ponder this strange occurrence for Yauo had broken from his stupor and launched his fist toward the two Titans.

_CRACK!!_

Though the attack smashed with monstrous force against the shield, his fist never reached the two Titans. Nevertheless the force was more than enough to shatter the shield and the resulting feedback flung both female Titans away. They sailed pass Malchior and Beastboy, crash landing a few hundred feet away from them.

"Guys!" yelled Beastboy, quickly getting up and run to the aid of his friends

But his body wasn't responding the way he wanted it to, the changeling still felt dizzy from his plummet and the sudden movement of his rising threw him off balance with his lack of equilibrium.

"Whoa…" he murmured, trying to stand straight on his feet, "Dizzy."

But regardless of how he was feeling at the moment he was ready to take off to help his fallen teammates, but before he could do that a sound caught his ear. Turning around he barely had time to gasp in shock as a hand shot out from beneath the rubble. The dark appendage groped in the air for a few moments, as if whatever it was attached to hadn't quite realized what had happened to it.

"No way…" he murmured, "She can't…"

But as fate would have it, as a large stone rolled away to reveal Ifrit, pulling her way from beneath her stony prison. This was a big shocker for the green changeling. Ifrit shouldn't have even been _alive_ after what she had gone through, let alone able to get up. But right before his eyes she rose, albeit with some trouble.

"Come on dude, can't you just stay down?" Beastboy asked, taking a step back as Ifrit fully pulled herself up from the rubble

"You… " she muttered, though her gaze was not focused on Beastboy, "I will… destroy… you… " she grunted, before keeling over, though managed to catch herself before she completely hit the ground

Her breathing was labored, her body was bruised and beaten, and her mind was swimming. Despite the fact that she was essentially immortal she felt as if her life would end at any moment. The sheer amount of weight that had been dropped on her had been one of the most excruciating moments in her entire existence, and yet she had the will power to stand, if only for a moment, a testament to her willpower if nothing else.

"Look dude, just stay down. I don't really want to have to fight you anymore. You're already beat."

"Don't look down upon me as if I was pathetic. I still have strength to fight." She said, punctuating her statement by once again rising to her feat

"Dude! You can barely stand, let alone fight! Seriously!"

"I am immortal. I cannot be beaten."

"**_Then we will have to remedy that won't we?_**"

Beastboy looked up to the sound of the interruption but all he saw was a large, black dragon hurtling toward him. With only seconds to respond he morphed into a tortoise as Malchior crashed landed nearby, the impact kicking up both dirt and Beastboy into the air. Fortunately the transformation did what it was intended to do, protecting Beastboy even as his tortoise form bounced along the rocky landscape.

"Master?" squeaked a perturbed Ifrit as she looked up toward her master, "What do you mean?"

The Night King's massive form shadowed the much smaller Ifrit. His glare pierced through her, causing her immortal heart to pound vigorously against her chest.

"**_You have failed me witch._**" He replied his voice surprisingly calm and even, "**_For the final time._**"

"No!" she exclaimed, "Master, I can still fight. I am not beaten yet!"

"**_You are weak witch and I cannot have such a weak creature in my power._**"

"Please Master! I can still go on. Please!" she pleaded

"**_Quiet your sniveling, you damned witch!_**" he barked, his eyes radiating a strange green

"Master wait I…!"

"**_SILENCE!_**" he roared, his eyes flashing a brilliant shade of olive green

A searing, unrelenting pain ripped through Ifrit's body, causing her to double over in an agonizing fit. As she writhed in pain a strange dark substance began to seep from her body, forming into a pool around her. Her rather demonic appearance was soon reduced to something much less threatening as the darkness around her was stripped from her being.

"Ugh…" groaned a dazed Beastboy as he yet again rose from his toppled over position, "My head plus a dragon equals hurt." He mumbled to himself

"I heard that." Mumbled a much deeper voice

"You okay?" Beastboy asked

"No. But I am still able to fight." He said, rolling over off his back to try and right himself

However his vision swam as he did so, making the large dragon very dizzy. Malchior swerved, crashing into the nearby wall. The dark dragon used the wall to try and right himself, but his world was spinning far too much for him to regain his balance.

"_Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!_"

Beastboy's head snapped toward the piercing scream, discovering that it had been Ifrit who had unleashed it. Even from his distance he could tell she was in unbelievable pain. After what felt like eons to the olden djinn, though in actuality was only few seconds, the last of her demonic essence was drained away from her, slowly floating into the massive form of Yauo.

"Master…I… " Moaned the weakened djinn, trying to rise, "Please…"

But in her weakened state all she managed to accomplish was to rise her head up toward the towering from of Yauo. The darkness that had once encompassed her being was now replaced with pale skin, faded dark-green hair, and a body that looked to be racked from starvation.

"**_Look at you._**" Grunted the massive beast, "**_Even after being stripped of your powers you still beg for forgiveness._**" He said, "**_You can at least meet your end with some dignity._**" He told her, raising his paw above the depowered djinn, "**_Farewell._**"

With neither the power or the will to move Ifrit watched as her destruction descended upon her. Every agonizing moment bore into her as the large paw came closer and closer. She was so focused upon her impending doom that she did not notice a sudden movement behind her and it was only after she was blindsided did she even realize that something other than the massive paw had been coming at her.

_BLAM!!_

The impact of the massive claw against the rocky ground tore up the landscape, sending debris in all directions.

"**_Huh?_**" murmured Yauo after having slammed his paw down

Something was off as the demonic beast raised his paw. With eyes widening in realization he saw that there was nothing there. His gaze quickly turned to the side as he noticed that his target had moved. Or more accurately something had moved his target. That something happened to be an olive green, shape shifting boy, commonly known as Beastboy.

"**_You!_**" barked the demon, "**_Insolent human! You dare infer!_**" he roared, "**_You'll suffer the same fate then!_**" he bellowed, once again slamming his paw down toward the ground

In an instant Beastboy morphed into a gorilla, slinging the bewildered witch over his shoulders, and making a mighty leap. He narrowly avoided being smashed once again as well as dodging the flying debris when Yauo made impact. Managing to create some distance between himself and Yauo he ran toward Malchior, who had recently recovered from his lightheadedness.

"Green one?" he questioned as he saw Beastboy running for all he was worth, "What are you…?" he began, but was soon cut off as Yauo unleashed a mighty roar and gave chase, "Grab hold!" barked Malchior, his wings already shooting out at his sides

Beastboy leapt once again, jumping atop the dragon's back just as Yauo smashed into the place he had been moments before. The demon's coiled body crashed again the ground, kicking up dirt as it flailed about as if it had a mind of its own. Malchior wasted no time taking flight and soon began weaving to and fro between the columns within the canyon. But Yauo was not ready to let him escape and quickly recovered and followed after, his claws reaching for the dark dragon.

"**_Burn!_**" roared Yauo, his flames erupting from his mouth

The flames seemingly missed, flying just over Malchior's head. However, as the wayward flames smashed into a nearby column and erupted into a wall of fire, Malchior quickly deduced that the attack was not meant to hit him.

"No!" he roared, trying to stop himself

But, in his haste to slow down his wing clipped an overhanging protrusion causing him to lose his balance in the air and plummet. Had it not been for his quick thinking, grabbing hold of another rock protrusion just below him, he would have ended up somersaulting into the flames. But while he was safe from the corrupted fire, he was left wide open for the monstrous Night King.

"**_You are mind now!_**" bellowed the demon, his clawed hand racing toward the unbalanced dragon

Knowing there was no way to dodge, Malchior did the only thing he could and braced for impact, though knowing full well that said impact would be the end of him. Luckily he had friends in high places who could throw balls of energy, which is exactly what happened. Blasts of green and dark energy ripped through the green flames impeding the dragon and smashed into Yauo's face, blinding the demon temporarily. Yauo yelped in surprised and reeled back, covering his face to try and assuage the pain.

"Nice assist guys!" called the changeling, in his form human once more

"You are welcomed friend… but who is that that you carry?" Starfire asked as the green flames dispersed

"Well… uh… ya see it's…" he began

"Ifrit… " finished Raven, "What is _she_ doing here?" Raven asked, or more like demanded

"It seems the green one rescued the demonic creature from certain doom." Replied Malchior, though his attention was on the flailing Yauo, "I am not sure _why_ though."

"Well I couldn't just leave her there… I mean… well…" he mumbled, trying to defend his actions

"Now is not the time to discuss such matters. We must escape this strange land and regroup with our friends." Replied Starfire

"And how do you propose we do that alien?" replied Malchior, "None of us have been fortunate enough to stumble across said mirror."

"Well… we shall discover something."

"I can…" mumbled the inert form of Ifrit, "… take you there."

"Huh?" Beastboy inquired

"I can take you to the location… of the mirror." She repeated

"Splendid!" cheered Starfire, but she was quickly cut off by Raven

"And how do we know this isn't some sort of trap?" she asked

Despite her injuries Ifrit chuckled, though the action seemed to cause her some pain.

"Raven… what choice do you have?" she posed, "You either stay here and be destroyed or take a chance."

The three Titans looked at one another as they contemplated the idea, and while it sounded fishy the recovering Yauo gave them reason to consider the offer. With a nod they came to an consensus and acting as group leader, Raven responded to Ifrit's proposal.

"Fine then. Lead the way, but if I sense even a hint of betrayal, you'll regret it."

"I would not have it any other way." Replied the witch

"Now that that is settled, lead the way." Malchior replied

Meanwhile, with a rapid shake of his head Yauo shook the last of the cobwebs that had taken refuge in his head. With his vision clear he searched for Malchior and the Titans and spotted them taking leave. But instead of immediately chasing after he took a few moments to inspect himself.

"**_Those Titans, that dragon…_** " he growled, "**_They have hurt me… significantly. They are insufferable. But I suppose it has been my fault. I have treated them as insignificant threats when I should have battled them as equals._**" He said, sounding disgusted as he spoke, _"**It pains me to think that creatures like that have the potential to challenge me. But now, no more mercy. I will brutalize them!**_"

And with that proclamation Yauo shot forth, zipping across the canyon in his pursuit of the Titans.

* * *

As the Titans raced through the canyon they were informed of the location of the mirror by Ifrit, who said that its location was in a deeper, secondary canyon that diverted from the first. She also told them that finding the secondary cannon would be a simple task, since the opening was adorned with several demonic statuettes.

"Well that sounds easy enough to find." Commented Beastboy

And indeed, finding the secondary canyon was quite easy as it was visible from a distance. But there _was _one problem that Ifrit quickly pointed out as they made their approach.

"The Nest." She replied

Malchior and the Titans needed no explanation to figure out what she meant, as the answer was quite obvious as they grew closer to the entrance to the secondary canyon.

"That's a lot of bugs." Replied Beastboy, his eyes growing wide

As Ifrit had proposed, this was 'The Nest', the breeding grounds of the Insectoids within the demonic mirror. And as Beastboy had proposed, there were _a lot _of Insectoids.

"The mirror is within the core of The Nest." Replied Ifrit

"And why wouldn't it be?" came Raven's dry reply

"Friends, we cannot battle through that horde. Especially with the Yauo approaching." Replied Starfire, glancing back briefly to see that Yauo was indeed catching up

"Then we won't." replied Malchior, "We will tear through them."

"And might you propose how?" asked Raven

"We will use the last of our strength to create a barrier." Replied Malchior

"We?" came Raven

"Yes _we_." Replied Malchior, "Myself, you dear Raven, and the alien." He replied

"Me?" came Starfire

"Of course. Whether you noticed or not your combined energies seem to have some sort of affect on the magic of this realm, specifically the demon Yauo's."

Both female Titans immediately thought back to the time when their combined powers absorbed Yauo's corrupt flames. Not only had it protected them from damage but it also apparently restored some of their energy.

"But we're not even sure what happened." Replied Raven, "Or if it'll happen again. For all we know it was a onetime fluke. And that doesn't even take into account what'll happen if **_your_** powers are used." She said

"My dear, you make sound so horrible." Replied Malchior

"Trust me… it is."

"If you say so. But we haven't a choice." He replied, "As your alien friend has said. We cannot battle through that horde." He said, his hands beginning to smoke, "And I would rather not die today." He added, electricity conducting through the smoke

"Shall we… combine?" asked Starfire, turning toward her dark teammate

Raven sighed, not wanting to have to cooperate with the dread dragon, but also knowing it was the only option left to them.

"If we must." She replied, conceding to fate, "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Very well. Let us prepare."

Towards the entrance of the secondary canyon one of the thousands of Insectoids looked up to see a strange sight. A large black creature surrounded by two small ones was on fast approach. But the part that made is strange for the demonic creature was not the creatures themselves, but what they were doing. Dark, green, and a strange electric-like energy seeped from the three creatures, creating strange barriers around them. The strangeness continued as the three different energies collided with one another, sparking madly as they conflicted.

"Skree?" wondered the beast

And as it watched on, its fellow Insectoids joined it, staring in an odd sort of fascination at the light show they were being treated to. Slowly the conflicting energies discovered some sort of harmony, the crackling diminishing by the second until a new barrier was created, a barrier glowing with an icy blue tint.

"Cool." Murmured Beastboy, looking around at the barrier that surrounded him

"Unimaginable." Replied Starfire, sharing his enthusiasm

And while Raven said nothing about the energy that surrounded them, she was nonetheless stricken by the sight and feel of the strange energy created.

"Well it seems you Titans are not completely useless." Replied Malchior, "This is what I would call a barrier." He said, "But even so, it will not last long so we must hurry."

"Why…?" murmured a voice so quietly that only one person heard it, Beastboy

"Huh?" came Beastboy, switching his attention toward the witch currently sitting behind him

"Why did you… rescue me?" she asked, look up at him

Her face was horribly ashen and her eyes had a blank, almost dead look to them. It didn't even seem that she was looking at Beastboy, simply her head was pointed in his general direction. Her voice was hoarse, so much in fact that it caused Beastboy to flinch as she continued to talk.

"Did you know that I knew the location of the mirror?" she asked, "But even if you did. How would you have known I would tell you?"

"Ya know... I didn't actually know if you knew where the mirror was or not." He replied, a lopsided grin adorning ya face

At this Ifrit's eyes widened in shock, confusion, and disbelief over the changeling's response, though the shapeshifter didn't seem to notice as he continued

"I just wasn't right dude." He replied, "So I saved ya." He told her

Ifrit's gaze dropped from Beastboy, her mind now a blur of thoughts over the simplicity of his reply.

"Hang on green one!" roared Malchior, returning Beastboy's attention to the situation at hand, "If you fall off I am not coming back to save you!"

"Dude, you don't have to tell me twice!" Beastboy yelled back, bracing himself against Malchior's back

Wild screeches from the approaching Insectoids rang though the air, some taking flight to meet up with the Titans halfway. Claws were brandished as the Insectoids swarmed, moving as one toward the Titans. But for all their power and numbers they proved no match for the odd-colored barrier. Many smashed against the barrier like the proverbial fly against the windshield while others were bounced away effortlessly. The Insectoids that hadn't taken flight watched in horror as their brothers were swatted away with little effort. Many of the grounded Insectoids attempted to flee, though most were crushed by the barrier as Malchior touched down, dropping them like dominoes under his charge. But Malchior and the Titans weren't the only monstrous force making its way through the Insectoids.

**_ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!!!!!_**

Crashing through stone columns and smashing into the rocky terrain only seconds after Malchior, Yauo pursued his adversaries with a look that could kill. But the Titans ignored his unrestricted rage, there only concern was navigating the twists and turns of The Nest. There was a sudden jolt as Malchior slowed his flight speed to better navigate which caused the weakened Ifrit to cry out in shock and grab hold of Beastboy in an attempt to keep from falling off. The sudden added pressure nearly caused Beastboy to lose his balance, but he managed to hold tight as Malchior, Raven, and Starfire bobbed and weaved through the maze like breeding grounds of the Insectoids.

"**_TITANS!_**" boomed Yauo, his large form crashing through The Nest

Boulders and Insectoids alike were thrown aside as the Night King tore after the escaping group, though the smaller pathways made it much harder for the massive demon to navigate quickly. The Insectoids scattered like the cockroaches they were in a desperate attempt to avoid being smashed to bits by the insane cat-and-mouse game being played by the Titans and Yauo.

"How much further must we travel!" yelled Starfire, her body tense with the strain of trying to keep the barrier up

"We are... almost there!" Ifrit yelled out, though her voice croaked horribly at the attempt to raise her pitch

"That is good!" replied Starfire, her eyes closed tight in concentration

"Hold on alien!" came Malchior

"I will try!"

"Hey...I think...I think I see something up ahead." Beastboy replied, peering as best he could through the barrier and the darkness of the Nest

In the distance an odd light shined through the darkness as the interior of the Nest opened up.

"There...there!" roared Malchior, his superior eyesight spotting the means of their escape, the demonic mirror

"**_No you don't!_**" roared Yauo, reaching out toward the group

They managed to dodge and thus as a result Yauo overstretched his attack, resulting in him smashing into and through a nearby wall, which slowed him down considerably.

"I am sorry friends, but I cannot go on any further." came Starfire, beginning to lag

"We are almost there!" barked Malchior

"I am sorry!" she cried out as her powers failed her

Without Starfire's powers the sudden feedback of energies caused Raven and Malchior to lose control of their powers for the moment, the shield dropping as a result. Malchior lost his balance in the air, crashing into the ground hard. Starfire began to fall as well, her powers nearly tapped dry. Fortunately Raven was there to grab hold of her hand and keep her from hitting the dirt as well.

"Damn." muttered Malchior as he tried to stand

"Ow..." murmured Beastboy, having hit his head on the back of Malchior's neck when the dragon crashed

"**_I have you now!_**" roared Yauo, beginning to come up upon the Titans and Malchior

Even worst, the Insectoids began to advance upon them, quick to take advantage of their weakened state.

"Dudes, we're not gonna make it!"

The swarm of darkness was closing in and the Titans only means of escape was lost to them, but one refused to let the prevailing hopelessness over take him.

"No!" roared Malchior, "_NO!_ I will not die here!" he bellowed, roaring in defiance against the shadows around him

With new resolve Malchior charged forth, his paws beating against the ground in a rapid pace. Raven was quick to follow after, hefting Starfire over her shoulder as she flew after the determined dragon. Insectoids leapt at him, scythe arms brandished, but the dread dragon paid them no heed, tearing through them with a single-minded resolve. He could feel them slashing at him, clinging to his hide, digging into his skin, but he would not let them stop him.

"Out of my way!" roared the dragon, his teeth and claws shredding Insectoids to pieces

An Insectoid flew over his head, landing at the base of his neck, right in front of Beastboy and Ifrit. The creature raised its claws to strike, but before it could bring them down it was blasted away by a dark bolt of energy.

"Thanks Raven!" called Beastboy, the dark girl nodding in reply, until a look of horror appeared on the changeling, "Look out!"

Raven turned in time to see a massive claw coming down upon her. She just managed to clear the immense appendage, but Yauo was not done. As his claw impacted the ground he pulled himself forward, effectively throwing himself at the Titans and Malchior.

"**_You are mine!_**"

Time seemed to slow after that. Malchior leapt for the mirror, Yauo made a grab at him, and Raven and Starfire turned to face the demon. A ball of energy formed between Raven's palms, growing wild with power with the intent of try to at least slow down the demonic shadow. But that power was not alone as a pair of strong hands encompassed Raven and unleashed a green tinted energy. Using the last of her strength Starfire fed Raven's attack, causing it to glow bright green. Already upon them Yauo's colossal claw shadowed the two female Titans, but the light shining from the final attack illuminated them within the darkness. Just as the Night King closed his claw around them they let loose, their energy ball shooting from them like a bullet.

"**_What!?_**" barked Yauo as the attack smashed into his hand, releasing a bright light before exploding

_KA-BOOM!!_

_

* * *

_

Ever since Beastboy, Raven, and Starfire were sucked into the demonic mirror along with Malchior, the other Titans were left with little choice but to try and find a way to help their friends. But with their only magic user lost in who-knows-where, the Titans were basically up a creek without a paddle. The best they could do was hope that Cyborg could track the trapped Titans' signal from within the mirror, though the likelihood of him being able was slim. However this was better than just waiting around and feeling useless, though the Titans East were not above taking advantage of this break from the fighting. For all they knew Yauo could fly out that mirror at any second and they'd rather enjoy the little free time they had.

"Arrrrgh!" growled Cyborg, frustrated, "No matter what frequency I use or find I _still_ can't get a lock on BB, Rae, or Star. Stupid alternate dimensions."

"Yo Sparky, you're gonna blow a gasket over there is you keep fretting." called Bumblebee, resting atop a car hood, "Besides I wouldn't worry too much about them. Those three aren't pushovers."

"Yeah..." he sighed, finally conceding to the fact that he was not going to get a signal, "I know. But still, not knowing is driving me crazy."

"No kidding." replied Robin

"Well I know that Starfire is a powerhouse and Raven is no joke. Even Beastboy has his incredible 'lucky' powers with him. They'll get out eventually."

"I wished they'd at least give us a sign or something!" he exclaimed, releasing his frustration to the sky

_BZZZT!!_

"Huh?"

**_FWOOSH!!_**

Rumbling violently the mirror began to bend and warp, the cracked shard glistening with a strange power. The intensity of the rumbling grew to a point that the Titans backed away, fearful of the seemingly possessed mirror.

"Uh...what's going on?" asked Speedy, instinctively going for one of his arrows

"Not a clue." replied Robin, "But I don't like it."

"Maybe we should... back up?" Aqualad suggested

But before any of the Titans could attempt that a large black object shot out of the mirror in a flash of light. As the light died down it was seen that the black object was none other than the dread dragon Malchior who, given his previous leap at the mirror, wasn't ready for the change in gravity of the outside world and crashed into the street, hard.

"Well, ya got your sign Sparky. Anything else?"

Cyborg chose to ignore that as he watched Malchior struggle to stand, as well as noticing a certain green teenage atop the dragon's back.

"That beats a roller coaster any day." groaned the changeling

"BB?"

"Huh? Dude, Cy!" called the changeling energetically, "If you're here then that must mean, we're out!" he cheered, "Whoo hoo!"

But his cheering died down almost as quickly as it came up when he looked around and noticed something amidst.

"Wait a sec dude, where Starfire and Raven!?" he exclaimed

Almost as soon as he said those words the aforementioned Titans rocketed out of the mirror, landing a few feet away from the groaning Malchior.

"That is not an experience I wish to repeat." groaned Raven, rising to her feet

"Yo Rae, Star, ya'll is alright!" Cyborg exclaimed, his mirth written all over his face, "Ya'll had us worried for a bit." he said as he and the other Titans rushed over to their comrades

"We apologize friends." replied Starfire, holding her head as she came down with a sudden case of vertigo, "Oh my, everything is spinning."

"Star, you gonna be okay?" asked Robin, taking hold of her and helping her to balance

"I shall. Thank you Robin." she replied, her face growing hot at the closeness

"Come on girl." replied Cyborg, helping Raven to her feet, though she waved him off soon after

"I'll be fine." she told him, just as Beastboy hopped off Malchior

Though he was not alone as he hopped down from the dark dragon, a small pale female clung to his back

"Yo BB, who's that?" Cyborg asked

"Well... heh, heh." chuckled the changeling nervously, his hand reaching the back of his head to scratch it, "Ya see dude, this is Ifrit."

"What!?" exclaimed the group of Titans, before an assortment of weapons flew out, each ready to down the weakened witch

"Whoa dudes! Calm down. She couldn't fight us if she tried!" he said, putting his hands up to try and ward off his friends, "And 'sides, she's on our side now."

"Our side?" scoffed Raven, clearing not accepting the changeling's reply

"Well, she did help us get out of that place." he injected

"Yeah, to save her own skin." Raven countered, "If you didn't notice her "master" tried to take her out."

Beastboy had nothing to say to that, knowing full well that Raven's logic was unbreakable.

"Hey, speaking about big, tall, and ugly, what happened to him?" Bumblebee asked

Four sets of eyes widened at this remark as Beastboy, Raven, Starfire, and Malchior thought back to the last few seconds before their escape of the mirror.

_The last few seconds..._

Using the last of her strength Starfire fed Raven's attack, causing it to glow bright green. Already upon them Yauo's colossal claw shadowed the two female Titans, but the light shining from the final attack illuminated them within the darkness. Just as the Night King closed his claw around them they let loose, their energy ball shooting from the like a bullet.

"**_What!?_**" barked Yauo as the attack smashed into his hand, releasing a bright light before exploding

_KA-BOOM!!_

The powerful collection of dual energy ripped through the claw of Yauo, climbing up the beast's arm and detonating near the demon's shoulder. An agonizing screech left the lips of the age-old demon as he instinctively brought his remaining arm to his shoulder, watching as much of his right arm burned away. Recoiling in pain the Night King did not notice Malchior smash into the mirror, the dragon using the last of his power to rupture the magical object, creating a disruption. At first the mirror resisted, sending its own magical energies out that hindered Malchior, as well as blowing away the many Insectoids that clung to his hide. But the dread dragon would not be denied. Beastboy held on with all that he had as Malchior tore through the mirror's defenses, creating a powerful feedback that shot off in random directions. The unfortunate Insectoids that happened to be nearby went up in a wave of magically induced flames.

"I... will... get... **_through!_**" bellowed Malchior, using every ounce of his magical strength to rend the barriers of the mirror

This loud proclamation snapped Yauo from his unbridled pain long enough to see the Titans escaping. In an instinctive bout of rage he flung himself at them, literally trying to use his body to crush them utterly. Raven saw this coming, her eyes growing wide in shock, and tried to back away as quickly as possible but Yauo was already upon them. Her only choice was to put up a barrier and take the hit. As Yauo landed much of his upper body smashed into the young empath and her shield. There was massive feedback but the empath held on while Starfire held onto the empath for dear life. The landscape was once again rearranged as Yauo landed, sending both Titans spiraling back as Malchior made his way through the mirror. There was a sudden flash as Malchior passed through the mirror, his tail barely making it through as boulders began to plummet from above.

"Raven! This 'The Nest' is caving in!" yelled Starfire as the ceiling and walls cracked wildly

"Perfect!" she growled, gritting her teeth to try and keep the barrier strong

Only a few feet away Yauo glared at them, murder in his eyes.

"_**You will pay for taking my arm!**_" he growled, ignoring the boulders that fell around him

Despite the pain he was in and despite the fact that at least half of his body was now buried by boulders, Yauo pressed on relentlessly after the two female Titans. There was no stopping the age-old demon. He was out for blood.

"Gotta get outta here." though the empath, her eyes darting about

With Yauo closing in and the cave only seconds from burying them alive, the two Titans were almost out of luck. _Almost_ being the key word though. Raven had one more idea in her head, though it wasn't the most practical of ideas.

"I'm not going to like this." she thought, dropping her shield, "Starfire, hold on."

Starfire's eyes widen slightly, as if she knew what was going to happen and per Raven's command tightened her grip.

"Azerath... Metrion... ZINTHOSS!" she boomed and with her exclamation a powerful burst of magical energy exploded in her palms

The resulting recoiled propelled both Titans toward the mirror, the many boulders falling around them missing only by centimeters.

"**_You will not escape from me!_**" roared the Night King, though he was quickly made a liar as more and more rumble covered him, burying him within his own nest, "**_TITANS!!_**" was his final cry just as Raven and Starfire cleared the mirror

_Present time..._

"Well wow... just wow." replied Bumblebee, after hearing the Titans recount of the last few seconds "So Mr. Night King is buried huh?"

"Last we saw." replied Raven

"Well then, guess all we have to do is stop that, huh?" replied Bumblebee, her thumb pointing to the storm that still raged in the skies

"Yeah, but how?" came Speedy's question

As one all eyes turned to the only person around who might have an idea as to how to stop the dark storm. Ifrit.

"You, you will tell us how to stop this." came Raven, her voice retaining its monotony yet at the same time commanding

"I suppose I have no choice." replied Ifrit, "But unfortunately I haven't the knowledge to do so. My master is the only one who has the ability to control his storm, much like he did in his own world so many years before." she replied

"Well perfect, what now?" came Speedy

"You will have to figure that out on your own Titans." came Malchior, interrupting the group, "For I am taking my leave. My service to you is done." he replied

Many sets of eyes focused on the dragon as he spread his wings, preparing for flight. They weren't all too eager to let the dread dragon just up and leave, given their past experiences with him, but it was Starfire who surprisingly spoke up before Malchior could make his departure.

"Friend Malchior... must you go?" she asked, "I mean... would you not want to make amends?" she asked warily

The tameranian knew she was treading on rocky ground here. But not just with Malchior, but with Raven as well. She did not want to hurt her best friend and yet she felt some sort of connection to the dragon. She could not tell what it was or why it was so, but she simply felt it and would at least try to end this on a good note.

"As in how?" asked the dragon, though before the alien could reply he answered for her, "By being trapped back within that book!" he growled, "If you remember our agreement then you know that is not an option." he told her

"Yes... " She began, trying to say more but not wanting to say the wrong things, "I... "

"Just because you honored their agreement doesn't mean everything's settled." replied Robin, interrupting "You're still a threat."

"And what? You will make sure I am no longer a threat? I am not afraid of you Titans."

"You lost to us before."

"That was him!" Malchior growled, referring to Beastboy, who cringed as a result, "And it was only because I simply underestimated his power! I will not lose to him again!" he roared, his attention now fully directed toward the green shapeshifter

Beastboy shrunk under the dragon's glare, scared that the large lizard might attack him. The other Titan's had similar feelings as they readied themselves, different powers and weapons coming to light. Only Starfire did not ready herself for battle (and not only because she was completely out of energy).

"Wait friends!" she replied, trying to quell the rage of the two warring sides, "Please, we have much to do." she told them, "Fighting will only prove ill-results. We must stop this storm before it grows to powerful." she said, before turning to the dragon with a determined expression, "But know this friend Malchior. You may leave as per our agreement, but should you do the evil-doing we will be quick to stop you." replied Starfire

"As if I need to be told by the likes of you." replied Malchior, "Know this though, this fight is not over."

"**_Correct dragon!_**"

Before even a collective gasp could be let out a large form rocketed from behind Malchior and Starfire and soared into the sky. Insanity danced in the eyes of the thought dead Night King as he glared at the Titans, quickly focusing on the first target he saw through his rage filled vision. Starfire.

"**_You!!_**" he boomed, striking with his remaining claw, "**_Suffer!_**"

With little to no energy to defend herself Starfire instinctively put her hands up and braced herself. But as she heard Yauo's large claw make impact she was surprised when no pain came her way. Looking up she noticed she was in the shadow of a large creature, this one not being Yauo.

"Malchior?"

Somehow or other the dread dragon was holding back Yauo's massive claw, using his entire body weight against the demon.

"**_Interfering dragon!_**" barked Yauo, closing his grip upon Malchior

Malchior felt his body lift into the air slightly before he was thrown away to crash into a nearby building, caving in the wall completely.

"**_Now to... _**" Began Yauo, but he was stopped before he could finish by a series of blasts

Attacks flew like wildfire from the Titans, pelting the massive demon with everything they had. And while causing the demon pain it was not enough to stop the Night King, who quickly retaliated with a wave of jade flames. The Titans dove for cover against the onslaught, barely avoiding be roasted alive.

"**_You Titans!_**" boomed Yauo, clearly pass the point of sanity, "**_You have committed heinous acts against me! You have stood against me, destroyed my nesting grounds, and even caused me pain!_**" he boomed, "**_Before I am done even your ashes will be destroyed!_**" he roared, "**_Prepare to experience pain beyond anything your feeble minds can hope to comprehend! So says I, the Night King Yauo- oof!_**"

Hit with an incredible force the Night King was knocked toward an adjacent building, his large head colliding violently with the structure. Standing, with clawed fisted extended, was Malchior, breathing heavily after exhorting himself so quickly.

"You... talk too much." quipped the dragon

"**_You... you will pay for that dragon!_**" hissed Yauo, pulling himself up

"Words. Nothing but words." came Malchior

With a wild growl Yauo shot towards Malchior, who was still too off balance to quickly move away. Luckily he didn't have to.

_POW!!_

Once again the Night King was knocked away by a clawed fist, but this one happened to be green.

"I don't need your assistance." growled Malchior, trying to clear his head

"Yeah, cause you're doing so good on your own." replied the green dragon next to him

"I will handle this." Malchior told him, "I will rip this demon to pieces."

"Look dude, I not about to sit here and do nothing. I _am_ suppose to protect the city after all." Beastboy retorted

"**_Yet another foolish dragon for me to destroy... _**" Growled Yauo, picking himself up once again, "**_Death will become you both._**"

Malchior's vision quickly cleared but even so he knew as he was on its last legs. His magical energy was all but depleted and he was fatigued from all his previous battles. Whether he liked it or not he would need Beastboy's help in this fight. But his pride wouldn't let him admit that openly.

"Do what you wish, but don't get in my way." he told the shapeshifter

With that Malchior narrowed his gaze at the Night King, who copied his action, though with much more madness than the dread dragon. This was the end, Malchior knew that. No more tricks, no more plans. This would be a fight to the finish, the victor being the one who survive. Claws dug into the street on both sides as Malchior, Beastboy, and Yauo tensed, ready to lunge at one another at a moment's notice. The Titans, who were still recovering from Yauo's previous flame attack, could only watch on, completely helpless at the moment. Then, as if signaled by some unseen force, the opposing sides took off, charging one another, letting loose rage-filled roars as they closed in.

* * *

Madness. Simply madness. Not Sparta, but madness. It was the only word that could accurately describe the scene unfolding at Arwen and Fifth. If one didn't know any better one would think a tornado had blown through the area, a tornado with claws. But to all those who knew the situation and were still viewing said situation, they would know that a titanic battle was taking place. Three fire-breathing creatures waged war through the streets of Jump, two dragon, the other demonic in nature. Flames erupted forth from both sides of the struggle, green emerald flames colliding with natural orange. The flames warped around one another, intermingling and flashing with an eerie glow. But eventually Yauo proved to be too much for even the combined strength of Beastboy and Malchior, forcing them to end their attacks and take cover.

_FWOOSH!!_

Malchior rolled to the side as the flames of both attacks danced across the street, flames which blinded him to the dark claw hurtling towards him. He had no time to evade, only putting his paws up to take the blow, which lifted him into the air and knocked him down the street. Yauo wasted no time to chase after him, easily swatting Beastboy away as he tried to intervene. The demon's mouth roared with flames that would have easily roasted the dread dragon had it not been for the timely assist of two females. Before the green flames could reach Malchior and cook him alive they were stopped by a powerful black barrier in the shape of a avian creature. But even with this obstacle Yauo kept on, hoping to overwhelm the dark empath, but a large boulder to the face stopped that train of thought in its tracks.

"You?" came the inquiring Malchior as he looked upon his savior

"Yes me. Don't think into it too much. I didn't do it for _you_." replied Raven, her eyes set upon the dark demon

"Dear, I wouldn't dream of it."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, a certain geomancer held her hands up defiantly toward Yauo who was recovering from having a boulder smash into his head.

"You okay Beastboy?" she asked

The large green dragon nodded in reply before returning his attention to the demon.

"**_I despise you Titans... _**" Yauo growled, flames once again coming to life in his mouth

But just as he opened his mouth to let the flames loose a car flew right in front of him and as the flames hit it, the car exploded, causing his own flames to backfire. As the smoke cleared the demon's eyes darted around, trying to find the source of the thrown car and discovering it had come from the metallic powerhouse known as Cyborg.

"Hey ugly, forget about us!"

"**_Why you miserable...!_**" he began, but hardly got out a threat before a white and red blur smashed into him like a pinball

"¡Aquí vienen Mas y Menos!" proclaimed the speedy Mas y Menos, completely overwhelming Yauo

The mighty demon was hit several more times by the fast-moving brothers before he had had enough and swatted them away. Though at the speed they were going they merely bounced away, albeit a tad dizzy as they recovered.

"El hombre, de que no era diversión." replied Mas, feeling that that was _not_ fun

"Sí." replied his brother, wholeheartedly agreeing with him

"**_You're efforts are in vain Titans. You cannot stop me._**" Yauo replied

"He's right." replied Robin, which granted him odd looks from the others

"Robin?" questioned Starfire, who despite having not power at the moment refused to leave her comrades

"We just aren't dealing the damage needed to stop that guy." Robin replied, "We need something bigger, something stronger, we need..." he stated, and with his eyes searching until they settled on something far down the street

"Will that work?" asked Speedy, following Robin's gaze

"I swear, you boys and your explosions." came Bumblebee

"We'll need Raven." replied Robin, before turning his attention to the other Titans, "Bumblebee, Aqualad, can you help the others?"

Static electricity danced about Bumblebee's two stingers, giving Robin all the answer he need.

"No problem." replied Aqualad

"Yo Aqualad, let's use the Conductor."

Aqualad nodded in understanding.

"Uh, 'Conductor'?" Robin inquired, genuinely confused

"Hey, you think only you and Sparky can make up moves?"

"Well..." began Robin, but before he could finish Bumblebee and Aqualad had already taken off to assist their friends, "Alright then, Speedy, you're with us." replied Robin

"Gotcha." replied the archer, swiftly following after Starfire and Robin

* * *

With the lost of his arm, Yauo's balance was horribly off, giving Malchior and the Titans a slight advantage. But the key word there being slight, as his overwhelming power kept the Titans from landing a crucial blow. Just out of the battlefield though came Bumblebee and Aqualad who were preparing to turn the tide of battle for the Titans. Landing atop a nearby telephone pole that held a three-prong transformer, Bumblebee aimed her stingers at the electrical machine. With little concentration she changed her own body's natural electric discharge to the exact opposite charge that flowed through the transformer, effectively absorbing massive power from the machine. Meanwhile water swirled viciously around Aqualad, who had acquired the gallons upon gallons of the liquid from a nearby fire hydrant.

"Ready when you are." came Bumblebee, electricity dancing about her body

"Everyone move!" yelled Aqualad letting loose his water-manipulating powers to hurl the wave of water toward Yauo

All the others immediately moved out of the way, though Malchior took his sweet time in doing so, releasing one last wave of flames at the Night King, slowly backing away. A torrent of water smashed into the demon, blinding him temporarily while at the same time drenching much of his upper body.

"Hmm? Simple technique." replied Malchior, having already deduced what Bumblebee and Aqualad were planning on doing

"Yeah, but awesome results." replied Bumblebee, aiming her stingers at Yauo

_BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!_

_  
_A bright flash followed by a large buzzing sound accompanied the blast of electrical power. By the time Yauo realized what was going on it was too late as the electricity hit its mark. Normally an attack like this would have caused some heavy damage, what with the amount of electricity that Bumblebee unleashed, but with the water acting as a conductor, the damage was doubled.

**_GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_**

With a full body sizzle the remnants of the water evaporated, with a few sparks of electricity popping about. The massive dark demon dropped, cracking the pavement and upturning a nearby mini-van with his large claw. After than he laid silent and unmoving.

"Did that do it?" Terra asked, boulders floating on either side of her

There was silence for a few moments as Yauo lay in a heap on the cracked pavement, but a slight groan and twitch of his large claw helped to answer Terra's question.

"No, but he's hurt." replied Raven

"Yeah, and we can finish him off. Robin's got a plan." replied Bumblebee

"What kind of plan?"

"What do you think? The one that involves big explosions."

"Of course. Boys." she muttered, rolling her eyes

"You better get going, you're part of the plan."

"Whatever." she replied, talking flight

"You Titans have a plan?" asked Malchior

"Yeah." answered Bumblebee

"Whatever it may be you better implement is soon."

"Worried?"

"Hardly." he replied, "I just don't like to be kept waiting."

"**_Then let... me hurry... your demise... _**" Yauo grunted as he struggled to rise

"Man, you just don't know when to stay down do ya?" came Cyborg, with sonic cannon humming vibrantly

"**_I have lived for millennia at a time. Do you Titans truly believe you can stop me?_**"

"Hey, we've stopped worst." came the metal Titans

"**_Maybe, but you will not stop this!_**" he roared, unleashing his emerald-flamed fury

Cyborg was quick to the draw, countering Yauo's flames with his own sonic cannon, but it was obvious that Cyborg didn't have the power to push Yauo's attack back. Alone that is. The cybernetic Titan was soon aided by the combined might of Beastboy and Malchior's flames which, combined with Cyborg's attack, were able to keep Yauo's power at a standstill... for the moment anyway. But as their luck would have it, Yauo's flames were beyond their power and Yauo slowly began to get the upper hand. Seeing this a certain speedy duo decided to even the odds.

"¡Tome a este demonio!" cried the brothers, zooming under the demon's jaw and jumping straight up

The high-velocity impact forcefully closed the Night King's mouth, causing green flames to sputter in his throat. But that was only the beginning. As the demon choked his opponents took a breather, charging up for another strike. By the time Yauo got over his coughing fit he was bombarded by flames, sonic waves, and even the earth itself as Terra decided to get in on the action. The demon was bombarded with attacks, raising his remaining paw to try and defend against the assault. This volley of attacks went on for a few moment, but Yauo soon grew tired of the abuse on his person.

"**_I've... had... enough... of... this!_**" boomed the Night King, waving his massive claw, "**_I WILL DESECRATE YOU!!_**" he roared, throwing himself at the Titans

"Incoming!" yelled Cyborg, diving for cover

The Titans were able to avoid the attack but Malchior and Beastboy were not so lucky. Despite the fact that they were fast given their size they were not fast enough to avoid Yauo and his wild charge. Yauo smashed head first into the two dragons, which was the equivalent of being hit head on with a mountain. They would have been completely bowled over if they hadn't grabbed hold of Yauo's scaly hide, gripping onto it for their very lives. Sharp claws dug into Yauo armored skin, causing the manic demon to flail about wildly. They crashed into a nearby office building, Malchior scraping against its side and crying out in pain. The demon jerked his head suddenly, causing Beastboy's head to smack into a nearby truck.

"**_Get off of me!_**" boomed the Night King, rearing back, "**_Get off!_**" he roared, snapping his head forward

But even with the sudden jolt Malchior and Beastboy held strong, ending up latched to the demon's face.

"**_Damn you dragon!_**" Yauo barked, reaching for Beastboy

But before he could grab hold of the green beast a stream of flames collided with the Night King's claw, raking it with pain.

"**_Graah!_**" screeched Yauo, pulling his claw away

"Thanks!" Beastboy said, though Malchior didn't reply, opting to slam his fist into the side of Yauo's head repeatedly

Beastboy would have joined the dark dragon in pummeling the dark demon had it not been for the call of his violet haired comrade.

"Beastboy!"

He immediately turned to the girl, his eyes growing wide when he saw what she was carrying with her powers. Encased in a black aura was a large chemical disposal truck, filled to the brim with very toxic and _very_ volatile chemicals.

"Open his mouth!"

With a nod he followed through with the dark girl's request. Shoving his claws between the lips of the Night King Beastboy put all his strength into trying to pry the demon's jaw open. But his overwhelming strength proved to be not enough to wrench Yauo's jaw open. Not alone that is.

"You are so weak!" barked Malchior, his claws gripped between the maw of Yauo, "I cannot believe I am helping you!"

But even though he despised the fact that he was helping his biggest rival he still put all his strength into assisting the green dragon. And slowly, but surely, Yauo's mouth began to open.

"I cannot believe I am doing this!" yelled Malchior, straining against Yauo's jaws, "Why am I doing this?" he questioned, gritting his teeth, "Tell me why you despicable beast! WHY!!" he roared, yanking open Yauo's mouth forcefully

"Open wide." came Raven, heaving the tanker truck toward Yauo's open maw

The truck of chemicals flew straight and true, its path unhindered toward Yauo's exposed mouth. Massive teeth broke on impact with the truck, though the heavy vehicle fared no better as it tunneled down his gullet.

"And say 'Ahh'." came Speedy, letting fly an arrow from his bow

The arrow sliced through the air, bursting into flames halfway toward its target, which happened to be the truck's fuel tank.

_FWOOSH!!_

There was a muted explosion, followed by a series of small rapid explosions, until eventually the entire truck went up in a beautiful if not deadly display of fireworks, deep within Yauo's throat. Malchior and Beastboy leapt for their lives as the explosions grew more potent, especially after the truck went off nearby the magical organ that created the demon's green flames, engulfing it, resulting in...

**_KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_**

The entirely of Yauo's throat was blown asunder, green flames flaring violently into the sky. The green flames pierced the darkened heavens, burning away at the dark clouds that hung over the city like a plague. The shadow fiend's body thrashed sporadically, smashing into nearby buildings, before finally falling to the street to move no longer, its large head following soon after, landing with a _thud_ upon the pavement. The dark clouds above slowly dispersed, revealing a crescent moon and stars twinkling in the night sky.

"Well that was... needlessly excessive." replied Raven after the fireworks died down

"Well, at least that did it." replied Speedy

"Hopefully." was Raven's reply

The Titans slowly approached the remains of the Night King, all on guard. What remained of his large serpentine body was burning away, the odd flames dancing vividly across his corpse. A few feet over laid the demon's head, leaning on its left side, its eyes seemingly devoid of life. But as the Titans closed in the creature's eyes blinked and a low growl rolled off its tongue.

The group tensed, waiting for an agonizing ten seconds before realizing that the creature's head was not about to jump up and attack them. While still prepared to move at any moment the Titans relaxed somewhat, seeing that they were in no immediate danger. While Yauo was not dead he as in no position to actually _do_ anything.

"**_Damn you Titans._**" he muttered, his voice ragged and hoarse, "**_I cannot believe... I was beaten by you. Damn you._**"

The Titans couldn't fathom how it was possible that Yauo was still in the world of the living, let alone talking, but there he was speaking to them in what was thought to be his final moments.

"Well, that's what you get for underestimating us!" came Bumblebee, loudly, but not as confidently as she had wanted

Weird couldn't describe the feeling of talking to a disembodied head. She wished he'd just roll over and die already, but Yauo defied nature and continued on.

"**_Everything. All I have is gone. You Titans have doomed me. Stripped from me my prize and left me an empty husk._**"

"Them's the breaks." came Cyborg

"**_But..._**" replied the demon, his eyes beginning to close, "**_... I will not go down..._** " he said, his crown fidgeting, "**_... without a fight!_**" he bellowed, as a new form sprouted from the top of his massive head

In actuality _new form_ might have been inaccurate for it was only the form Yauo had first appeared in after his premier escape from his mirror. Nonetheless the Titans were surprised and completely caught off guard as Yauo exploded from the head and leapt at them, his first target being Malchior. The dragon's shock and fatigue slowed his response to this attack and he was greeted with a head-on head butt from the Night King, the force of which knocked Malchior back into the majority of the Titans. The only Titan to avoid being bowled over by the large dragon was Raven, who darted to the side just as Malchior passed by.

"**_YOU!_**" boomed Yauo, his anger at its apex, "**_You threw that explosive down my throat. You will pay!_**" he roared, charging her

Raven's powers burned in her palms, but the Night King was coming so fast she doubted she'd be able to escape or at the very least bring up an effective barrier. Luckily for her she didn't have to. Yauo saw the incoming obstacle before Raven did, but that didn't help him when Beastboy smashed into him, knocking him over in a haphazard tackle. Being of nearly equal size and weight both creatures end up entangled in one another as they rolled a few yards down the street, eventually stopping in a heap of arms and tails. After their initial shock passed, and Malchior kindly got off of them, the Titans jumped to action, racing to Beastboy's aid. Though one person in particular did not go to battle to finish off the demon Yauo, and it was not Malchior who was still face down on the street but a sickly, greenish haired woman with a large hat. Instead the woman walked over to the downed head of Yauo's previous vessel, watching its blank stare. It was not quite dead, but there was no doubt it would be soon.

"And so the end draws near. For you, for I, and for my master."

Then she remembered something, something poking at her within her robe.

"Or maybe I can stem fate just a little longer." she thought, reaching into her robe

* * *

Okay, I lied. This is not the last chapter of the story. Once I figured out just how long this chapter was going to be I saw I couldn't finish it this chapter. Most likely the next chapter is going to be the accursed _Epilogue_ as I finish off the last bit of this story. Expect it to be rushed a little, but still enjoyable. However, just because I couldn't finish the story this chapter doesn't mean I'm not going to rant about the story itself. Listen in, this is a mouthful.

**I. HATE. THIS. STORY.**

Despise. Abhor. Detest. Dislike. Loathe. Utterly **_HATE _**with every fiber of my being. You get the picture. Not to say I do not appreciate the many reviews I've gotten from readers of this story. Such reviews have given be so many ideas and helpful hints that I'd be a fool not to like them. No, I personally hate the story I've written because after rereading it I have found so many mistakes. Not just in grammar but in plot development and the overall flow of the words. God, it pains me to go through this story. Every mistake, every inaccuracy, every little thing that doesn't make sense or is too cliché and cheesy. It's like drinking acid. This is exactly what I've felt after reading my story. It has good parts, I'll admit that myself in a completely unbiased way, but overall I can't stand it. But it pains me to pick apart my own story that I felt so happy writing. Still, this story sucks on a level that I wouldn't take anyone down to. I'm just glad I got a few reviews for this sucktastic story.

I would like to explain that this rant does not in any way, shape, or form involve any of my reviews. You readers don't suck for reading this story. In truth I should give you the noble peace prize for putting up with it as long as you did. This story isn't worthy of your time and yet you put in the time to read it, and for that I'm thankful. To try and thank you all for this I plan on making a _much _better story very soon in the future that I've been planning for quite some time. I won't give any details, but it will involve an entire new team of Titans in the mix. I can't wait to get started on it, but first I must finish this craptacular story with some level of dignity. Thank you again for reading my story and prepare for the _Epilogue_ which is more like the wrapping up of this chapter, but it does have surprise twist I think readers will enjoy.

P.S. Any and all comments on the story, this rant, or anything in general are greatly appreciated.


	32. Darkness Defeated, and a Twist!

Have fun with this last chapter.

* * *

The bright crescent moon hung lazily in the sky, its dim light casting a calming affect over the city, though currently these soft beams had no affect on a certain powered down demon and the heroes who chased after him. But despite his massive drop in energy the Night King was not discouraged. On the contrary, he was set in his mission to enact his revenge. While he could never handle the Titans in her current condition his sights were not on the Titans, but something close to them.

"**_Their dwelling._**" he thought, his lithe form racing through the city streets, "**_They may have beaten me but their victory will be bitter sweet._**"

But he was not the only fast moving creature dashing through the city. A green tinted reptilian's claws beat rapidly against the black pavement of the road in hot pursuit of the Night King, though the dark demon kept ahead by a few paces. The green dragon couldn't risk flying, since he'd have to be high in the air to avoid the many buildings of the city, and that would give Yauo amble time to lose the dragon in the city's twists and turns.

Luckily the green dragon was not alone in his pursuit, assisted in his fleet-footed adventure by an insect-theme electricity manipulator, a wielder of the magical arts, and the mistress of the earth. While he couldn't fly through the city because of his size, these three maidens were far better off, being much nimbler than their large teammate. Making a sharp turn down an upcoming street Yauo attempted to throw Beastboy off, but the changeling was quick on the uptake, his claws raking against the street as he rounded the corner mirroring Yauo's movement.

Enraged Yauo swiped his claws around the street, sending numerous cars cascading through the air like metallic confetti. Yet Beastboy's fluid body found a way through the maelstrom of metal, though not without a few nicks and scrapes from wayward automobiles. The three Titans following along found their own way to bypassing the lethal volley of steel and glass. Raven's dark powers let her wave away any vehicle threatening her safety while Terra erected a barrier of earth to deflect the motorized hailstorm. Bumblebee, lacking the power of either girl, had to actively avoid the flying debris, though her ability to change her size at will helped her greatly in her evasive maneuvers.

Growling at their persistence Yauo picked up the pace, throwing his entire body into his slithering. But out of the corner of his eye he saw a blur coming up on his side. It wasn't until this blur came in close did the dark demon realized what was following. A pair of electrically charged superheroes came up rapidly on the shadow creature, their insane speed able to keep up with the terrible Night King. Yauo growled, his anger summoning up green flames in his throat and despite the attack's significant drop in power it no less posed a threat to the speedy duo.

But Mas y Menos were not deterred by the onslaught of corrupt flames, using their super-speed to evade the deadly inferno. Jade flames roared across the asphalt road in pursuit of the two, but they kept ahead of the flames, gaining some ground a little. Using this to their advantage they move along to an odd angle beside Yauo, forcing the demon to cease his powerful assault or risk losing balance. With his signature attack rendered useless at the moment the dark demon resorted to trying to swipe at the speedsters, but doing so slowed him down just enough for Beastboy to lunge at him. Fortunately for the shadow creature, Yauo managed to slip away before Beastboy could get a solid grip on him.

Meanwhile, somewhat behind the pursuing Titans the others followed adamantly; Robin and Starfire zooming down the street on the R-Cycle while Cyborg, Aqualad, and Speedy rode the T-Car, Cyborg driving as fast as he possibly could.

"This guy is beyond stubborn ain't he." replied Cyborg, his foot pressed heavily on the gas pedal, "The guy's beat and he still trying to cause trouble."

"We will not allow the Yauo to continue doing what he pleases." came Starfire over the communicator, "He has already caused much strife and will cause no more."

"Let's just hope we stop him before he reaches the Tower."

It took no rocket science to figure out Yauo's intent. He was going to deliver the Titans a painful blow one way or another. If he couldn't do it physically then a spiritual blow would have to suffice. And already was the bay coming into view and subsequently Titans Tower that stood in the darkened bay proudly, its lights glowing brightly in the night. But if the Night King had any say in the matter those lights would soon be darkened, permanently.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthoss!" yelled Raven, her powers reaching out and taking hold of lampposts up ahead of the group

The darkened streetlights popped out of the ground and creaked violently as they bent around Yauo, wrapping around the Night King's midsection in an attempt to bind him. She managed to take hold of one of his arms as well as his mouth, though the lampposts meant to stop his undulating body were dodged by the demon. Discarding said useless bindings Raven focused on the lampposts currently entangling Yauo's body, but found it difficult to keep him bond. His violent struggling proved too great for her weakened will and after a few moments he broke free, with the resulting feedback reeling the empath back.

As Yauo ripped at the now powerless lampposts Terra took over where Raven left off, commanding her own powers to her hands. With a growl she raised her hands above her, the earth moving to her will, the street ahead lifting up in resonance with the geo-mancer. Just as the demon threw away the lamppost binding his mouth he noticed the raised street and realizing he wouldn't have time to get around it he reacted almost instantaneously, leaping into the air. His leap was haphazard at best and while he cleared the mineral obstruction he didn't clear it unscathed, cartwheeling over it as his arm caught over the top of the wall. Though he was quick to regain his balance and take off again.

The other Titans had a far easier time clearing the rocky wall; Bumblebee, Raven, and Terra simply flying over it while Beastboy leapt over it expertly and Mas y Menos literally ran up and over the wall. With barely a thought Terra turned and waved her hand down, dropping the large wall so that the other Titans could safely keep up. Beastboy managed to gain some ground on the fleeing shadow creature and reached out, latching hold of Yauo's long tail. With a mighty yank the green dragon pulled Yauo back, but the demon would not be stopped, unleashing his flames as soon as Beastboy pulled.

Flames seared his hide and Beastboy let go in response to the sharp pain, letting Yauo escape, though not with a few bumps and scrapes as the girls bombarded the demon with numerous attacks. Pained grunts issued forth from his mouth, but he managed to push on, his only concern the tower that was in his direct line of sight. The shadow demon soon cleared the outer limits of the city; the bay was only a few hundred feet away and coming up fast.

"**_Finally!_**" he roared, leaping over a large truck, "**_This will only be a minuscule part of my revenge but I will show those Titans what happens when they cross me._**"

Not only would Yauo annihilate the tower but also his escape was certain. For the bay would mask his retreat. One day he would return and take his full vengeance on the Titans, but demolishing their tower would be a good start. Intense jade flames came to life in the demon's gullet, glowing with a sense of rage and hate as Yauo prepared to unleash as much power as he able. Attacks from the Titans rained down upon the Night King but he ignored the pain, his only focus the large 'T' standing proudly in the bay. The symbol of hope and justice in the city of Jump would soon be brought to the ground in a heap of burning and twisted metal.

"**_Let it burn. LET IT BURN!_**" he boomed, unleashing his full fury onto the tower in the form of an enormous fireball

A collective gasp ran through the entire group of Titans, knowing none of them could stop the attack in time. The ball of emerald flames closed in, threatening the pristine tower with sheer destructive power.

_FWOOSH!!_

A loud rush of air rang through the sky as something collided with the green inferno, matching it in power and ferocity. The conflicting energies struggled for a while, though only because of the massive size of the green fireball. But eventually a blue beam of concentrated sonic energy ripped through Yauo's attack and continued on to the dark demon himself.

"**_No!_**" roared Yauo, his arms going up in defense as the beam smashed into him

Soulless eyes narrow in anger as the dark demon dropped his arms after the sonic attack poured over him. His hide sizzled slightly, having not withstood the attack completely. Yauo looked up, noticing a light atop the tower he aimed to destroy, and noticed a strange weapon pointed directly at him. Atop the weapon sat an odd looking creature, slightly bandaged, but looking more chipper than his apparent injuries let on. Back at the T-Car a little beeping sound went off on Cyborg's arm and the cyber-Titan responded accordingly, slightly surprised at the face he saw on the screen.

"Tram?"

An odd, gurgled reply came from the fish like Titan as Tram responded to Cyborg, but being that Cyborg couldn't understand a word of Tram's aquatic language it was up to Aqualad to act as translator to the 'Gurgled-Impaired'.

"Tram's been monitoring us ever since a... big flying eel broke free from the tower."

"Eel? Yo, does he mean Malchior?"

"I am no eel." came a snarling voice from overhead

A dark shadow passed over the T-Car and the R-Cycle, revealing none other than the 'big flying eel' himself, Malchior. With little to say at such a sudden appearance the Titans watched at Malchior over took them, despite the fact that the city cut his flight speed drastically. Something else caught their eye as Malchior flew overhead but the steady beat of the dread dragon's wings blinded them to something resting atop his neck.

Malchior growled in frustration as he weaved through the many buildings of jump; though it didn't take him long to spot the other Titans, feverishly doing battle with Yauo. Still, he could not believe he agreed to help. He should have taken off when he had the chance, though he shared a common goal in destroying Yauo once and for all. That demon had escaped death one too many times. It was time to end this.

At the moment said Night King and Beastboy were currently grappling with one another, equaling in strength but not in dexterity. A dark tail slithered up Beastboy's side and before the changeling-turned-dragon could react he was taken down with a swift strike to the side of the head. Beastboy toppled over, his thrown balance sending him tumbling to the ground. But the Night King had no time to gloat as he only just dodged a large boulder that still managed to graze his head.

"**_Damn._**" he muttered, leaping over Beastboy's downed form and dodging yet another boulder aimed at his head, "**_These Titans are always interfering!_**" he growled

With his bid to destroy the tower foiled by Tram and his timely assist Yauo was left with little option left. He couldn't win this fight, regardless of how bold or powerful he still was. The Titans he was fighting were too numerous and out of the corner of his eye he saw that the others were making their way over and would join in soon. Escape was his only choice at the moment.

"**_I will return._**" he growled, making a dash for the water

If he could make it to the depths of the bay he would be able to escape into the darkest of the deep blue. But as he said, he would return one day and strike with vengeance against the Titans. Too bad that, as he dodged a wave of dark energy and a bolt of electricity, he was abruptly stopped by a large dark creature, right before he could leap into the safety of the bay. That creature was Malchior.

"**_Out of my way dragon!_**" barked the demon

"Not likely." replied Malchior, "It is time for your end."

"**_As if you could stop me._**"

"Maybe not, but I know someone who can." she said, lowering his head to reveal a certain witch riding atop his back

"**_You!_**"

Standing, albeit weakly, the weakened magical djinn glared at Yauo with a look that could only be defined as defiance. Yet as she spoke her voice held no malice.

"Goodbye my master." she said, before raising her palm toward him, "Aldranon Enenthranel..."

"**_No! Not again!_**" boomed the Night King, lunging desperately at Malchior

"Volsolanirist Nor!"

A cackling magical energy roared from her outstretched palm, slamming into Yauo, impeding his attempt at intervening. A strangle cry left his throat as magical energies ripped at his very existence. Though the stubborn demon refused to let himself be beaten and fought back with every fiber of his being, resulting in a hellish magical battle of tug-of-war. And it became obvious after only a few seconds of struggle who was the stronger of the two.

"**_Heh, heh, heh. You weak fool._**" grunted Yauo, pulling back, "**_To really think you could stop me? I am still strong. I am still powerful. I am the Night King, Yauo!_**"

"You know... " replied a voice from behind, causing Yauo to turn abruptly, "You really do talk too much." replied Raven, her hand outstretched at the demon, "Azerath Metrion Zinthoss!"

Dark energies cackled in Raven palms before being ushered forth, flowing over Yauo with little restraint. A sudden shock rippled through the demon's body as magical energies swarmed him, aiding the dark curse set upon him. He let loose a defiant roar to the heavens but it proved to do little more than to punctuate his defeat as the last vestiges of his existence were pulled into the confines of a magical text.

"Wow." muttered Bumblebee, flying up beside Raven, "So... is this it? He's not coming back right?" she asked

"That waits to be seen." replied Raven, her attention now focused on Malchior and Ifrit

"Come, let us go." replied Ifrit

"You don't command me." grunted Malchior, though he still spread his wings for take off

"Hey! We're do you think you're going!?" Terra called, small stones floating about her body

"Look!" barked Malchior, clearly annoyed, "We can do battle or part ways. I personally wouldn't care either way. But your true enemy has been vanquished and the threat to this world averted. Let be what is." replied the dark dragon

"And just let you go?" came Raven

"That or you can fight a needless battle."

With a quick beat of his mighty wings and Malchior lifted into the air, the water beneath him rippling madly against the power of his wings.

"You Titans believe you are in the right and yet you know nothing. You're bonds are strong but your wills are blinded. You will never understand what it truly means to be one as long as you are blinded by words." Malchior muttered, "Darkness is more than just doing evil deeds. Can you ever see that?"

The three flying Titans simple stared at Malchior after the dragon said his piece. Whether they were affected by his words or not was unclear as their expressions remained _relatively_ neutral.

"Farewell... " Muttered Malchior sighing heavily, "Titans."

Moments passed with no action for either side expect for the steady beating of Malchior's wings, though the tension between the two groups was staggering. Then like a blade cutting through the air Malchior took off, his form growing small with every beat of his wings.

"Whew..." breathed Bumblebee, "Glad that's over."

"For now." replied Raven

_Meanwhile back on shore..._

"Yo BB. BB!" called Cyborg, trying to rouse his green amigo from unconsciousness

"He okay?" asked Speedy

"Ugh... " groaned Beastboy, "Tofu... hot... cakes." he mumbled

"Yeah." chuckled Cyborg, "He's okay." said the cyber man, Looking off to the retreating Malchior, "Glad things are finally over."

* * *

Darkness had swept over the city of Jump, but the Titans, along with a little... unorthodox help, managed to shoo away the pesky darkness and the citizens of Jump were able to wake up to a bright, sunny morning. On such a morning a person was up early, having awoken for a rather fitful sleep. She was still rather tired from the previous night's escapades so waking up as early as she did was a chore, requiring all her willpower. However, despite the restlessness she had, her sleep did accomplish one important thing. It gave her time to think, a lot of time to think. She thought of her past, her present, and what she wanted for her future. What she discovered was that the future she wished for was not a future she could have, not now anyway. Her past was too riddled with deceit, misfortune, and confusion for the future she envisioned. In order to obtain such a future she needed time, time to discover herself, to find out who she really was in the world. In order to live in the future she wanted, above all else she needed to do on thing.

Terra... had to leave.

The manipulator of the earth did not want to leave Titans Tower; to leave the Titans, especially after just returning to life. But she knew she simply couldn't reintegrate herself back into their lives, especially after what she had done. No, she had to leave, if only to clear the air of things. Besides, she had a few questions she wished to answer. Like how exactly had she been brought back. When she had first been released for her stony prison she had been so happy that she had never questioned the occurrence. Simply stating it as her own powers eventually freeing her. But as she thought back on it she realized that it just didn't seem possible. No, something else happened. Her powers had been completely trapped and then, _something_ happened that allowed her to break free. Whatever it was she wanted answers.

Terra... needed to leave.

During the time Terra spent with the Titans fighting Yauo and his forces Terra had come to question herself. She wasn't particularly sure if she _deserved_ to be back. The things she did, the people she hurt, they were evils that weren't easily wiped away. If Terra ever wanted things to be different, if she ever wanted things to be like they were... no, things could never be like they once were. But at the very least they could be for the better. Terra was searching for change, change that would better her, and until she found that change she could not stay with the Titans. She would never find that change with them, despite the help they would bring. This was something she _had_ to do on her own.

Terra... wanted to leave.

It wouldn't be too much of a stretch for the young geomancer. She was used to living alone, fending for herself, surviving on what she could find and protect. But there would be one thing different this time around. Before she traveled alone in order to hide herself from others, in order to survive. But now she would travel about in order to show her true colors, in order to live. Also, unlike before where she wandered aimlessly about with no true goal in sight, this time around she knew what she wanted. The problem was how she was going to go about to acquire that want.

"I will change." she thought, throwing a large backpack on her back, "I'll find out who are really am."

Before she realized it she found herself atop the roof of Titans Tower, looking over toward the bay as the sun peered over it, filling the sky with a bright light. She smiled at the sight. At least she could leave with something beautiful to remember this place by. However, before she could summon her powers to take off, she sensed a presence.

"Where do you think you're going?" came a calm, neutral voice

While shocked at first, that expression soon turned to a wry grin, followed by a low, hollow chuckle.

"What do you know?" she chuckled, "I should have guessed _you'd_ catch me." she replied, turning to face the one who caught her, "Morning, Raven."

"Morning Terra." replied the empath, "And now that we've got the pleasantries out of the way, mind answering my question?"

"You want an honest answer?" Terra asked

"That would makes things a lot simpler for the both of us." replied Raven

"Well, I don't know _where_ I'm going but I know where I'm going to end up." Terra told her

"And that would be?"

"Here."

Raven simply raised an eyebrow at this, though she was thoroughly confused.

"Mind running that by me once more. I think I missed something."

"Yeah, sounds weird to me too. But just know, I have to leave, but I will come back, someday."

"Why do you _have_ to leave? And how are you so sure you'll be back?"

"I need to find something out. Something about myself."

"By yourself?"

"Yes... by, myself."

Raven snorted at the response.

"Falling back on old bad habits huh?" replied the dark girl, "When something doesn't work out. When you're frightened of something you take off, hoping that by getting away from the problems you don't have to deal with them. But you can't run away Terra you can't... "

"I'm not running!" Terra shouted, stopping Raven in her tracks, "I'm tired of running! Tired of hiding! Tired of not knowing! For once in my life I want to do something that I have control over! I have to leave because I _want_ to leave! Not because I'm scared, but because I need... no, I _want_ answers!" she yelled, already feeling as if she was out of breath, but feeling too strong to stop, "I want answers about myself, about my life! I want to know who am I, who I was, who I'm going to be! And dammit, I can't find those answers here!" she bellowed, "And you want to know why!? Because I don't deserve to! I don't deserve to ask you guys for help! I had that chance and I screwed up. Worst, I betrayed you, betrayed your trust and nearly killed you all! I lost the best friends I ever had because I was scared! Scared to trust anyone, to trust myself! And now that I have a second chance in life I'm not about to waste it! I **will** find out if I am truly worth something! But... " she was on the verge of tears at this moment, but forced herself to stay strong, to allow herself to say her piece, "This is something I have to do. I can't ask for help from others until I can help myself. And... and... I don't deserve to be here... not yet."

The sudden fury of passion in Terra had burned out almost as quickly as it ignited, leaving Terra exhausted. There was so much more she wanted to say, but she didn't feel as if she could say it without breaking down, so she opted to simply look at the roof she stood upon. Through Terra's rant Raven had remained quiet out of curiosity and surprise. She had been totally taken off guard by Terra's outburst of raw emotion, the impact hitting her empathic senses like a sledgehammer to a brick wall.

"Terra I... " Raven said, trying to say anything, anything at all to respond to such an outburst, but found her lips failing at words

"No... I'm sorry." replied Terra, surprising the empath yet again

"For, what?" Raven managed to ask

"I shouldn't have blown up on you like that. I'm sorry. I just... needed to get that off my chest." she told Raven, her gaze still focused on the roof

"It's okay." replied Raven, coming to grips with the situation, "But maybe I should be the one apologizing. I assumed you were running. I didn't think... "

"No... it's okay. I would have done the same thing. I deserve it." she replied

"Whether or not your deserve it isn't the concern. I still shouldn't have. So, I'm sorry."

Another dry chuckle escaped Terra's lips at that.

"Wow. I don't think I've ever heard you say those words."

"Well, don't get used to it." replied Raven, "So, you're leaving?"

"Yeah."

"From the secrecy I can assume you weren't planning on telling anyone."

"Everyone would have made a big deal about it, especially... "

"Beastboy." Raven finished for her

"Yeah." replied Terra, her voice low, "Raven?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't... don't tell him you caught me up here, please?" she replied, "I don't want..." she took a breath to calm herself, "To make this your problem too." she replied

"Either way, just leaving isn't going to make things easier."

"I know, but it was the best thing I could come up with on such short notice. I need to leave and it be better if nobody knew I left."

"For Beastboy or you?" Raven asked

Terra couldn't meet Raven's gaze though Raven could feel a wave of guilt wash over the geomancer.

"You must think I'm the most selfish person around."

"I _did_, but now I think you should leave before the others wake up."

Terra looked up, giving Raven an odd look. Raven's face was a neutral as ever, though Terra swore she saw understanding behind the violet eyes of the empath. Terra wanted to smile yet she wasn't sure if such a thing was called for. She wasn't even sure what to say, so she gave Raven the best reply she could give.

"Thanks Raven."

Raven didn't respond, but the look on her face told Terra that she understood, at least a little anyway. With a flick of her wrist a large rock floated upwards toward the roof and casually drifted over towards Terra. Pushing up Terra hopped onto the approaching boulder and found her balance, before sitting down on the boulder in a cross-legged fashion.

"I guess this is goodbye." Terra replied

"For now." came Raven, "You said you'd be back."

"Yeah. I will." replied Terra, "I don't know when, but I will. I know that."

"Just one question?" Raven asked, "How? How do you know you'll be back? How will you find your answers?"

"I'll never give up searching." she replied, "And eventually I'll find out." she replied

"You sure sound confident."

"It's the only thing I've ever been sure of."

A soft smile appeared on the young empath's face. Though she wasn't sure if just letting the earthmover go was the best idea, she had no right to stop someone so determined. And honesty, this had been the first time Raven had ever seen Terra with a single, unbreakable conviction since she had known her.

"Here, take this." came Raven, reaching into her belt, retrieving her communicator, "To keep in touch."

"No." replied Terra, stopping Raven from handing her the communicator, "Keep it. I won't need it. Besides, I don't deserve it, not now." she replied, "But thanks anyway. Just knowing there are people... concerned, makes me feel better about leaving."

With a mental command the boulder turned, facing Terra to the bay. The geomancer wasn't sure where she would start her journey, but the bay seemed like a good place as any other.

"See ya."

"Yeah."

There were still lingers feelings, words that Terra wanted to say but she had to leave now or she wouldn't have the courage to later. However she managed to get one more thing out before she left.

"I hope... one day... we can be friends." Terra replied

"We'll see what the future brings." replied Raven

Terra chuckled again, though this time it wasn't hollow; the chuckle expressing genuine happiness.

"Yeah, we'll see." replied Terra as the boulder lurched forward, leaving the roof of Titans Tower

Terra said nothing as she slowly took off, but she didn't need to. Raven knew what she felt as she gradually left. Pain, sadness, regret, and... freedom. Terra was starting something. Was it a new life, a new goal, a new self? Raven wasn't sure and she believed that Terra wasn't sure either. But nonetheless, Terra was starting over and this time she had a much clearer vision of what she wanted. She didn't know how she would go about making that vision a reality, but she was determined to shape that vision her way and not because of circumstance. Terra was finally living her life rather than living in a life.

"And hopefully... " began Raven as Terra grew further and further away, "She'll live a life she can be proud of." she said, turning and making her way off of the roof

* * *

Finally, this story is finally complete. And to say I honestly like the ending, which was something I had planned on doing for a while. It also helps to lead into my next story, which will be _far _better than this one. I hope all that have read this story enjoyed it and get ready for the next one.

P.S. Any an all comments on the overall feel of the story, anything you as readers did or did not like, or just anything in particular you want to comment on is greatly appreciated. It will help with future stories so comment away, even if its a comment that is negative in anyway. Negative comments just tell me what I need to change to make the story better.


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